Software Company Learns a Tough Lesson about Union-Busting

A small boutique software company got a tough lesson about union-busting last week when it agreed to shell out $775,000 to 15 programmers the company fired after its developers announced plans to form a union with NewsGuild-CWA. The 15 former employees of Lanetix comprised the firm's entire non-management programming staff.

To fight the firings, CWA filed an injunction in court and filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Most of the fired employees were quickly hired by other tech companies, but the workers kept up their fight for justice.

"The CWA stood with us while the NLRB spent the better part of the last year investigating the case," said former Lanetix developer Sahil Talwar. "This is a landmark win for tech workers. We have shown what can be accomplished by standing together and standing strong."

The $775,000 settlement restores the pay the workers lost and compensates them for their unjust treatment, illegal firing, and financial hardship. The settlement also requires the company to remove the workers' firing from its records, and post a statement at every Lanetix location detailing workers' right to organize a union and outlining the terms of the agreement.