Kickstarter United NYC-OPEIU 153 Declares Victory and Ends 40+ Day Strike

Kickstarter United and OPEIU 153 members celebrating victory in Zoom

New York, NY – Today, the members of Kickstarter United (KSRU) ended their 42 day-strike and declared victory over the tech company. KSRU secured an escalating minimum salary floor tied to cost of living, strong protections for a codified 32-hour, 4-day workweek from the tech company, key issues that had been unresolved and led to their strike on October 2nd along with union rallies and pickets in Seattle, New York City, and Boston. Kickstarter workers are represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153.

“It is through the solidarity and steadfast resolve of my coworkers and union that we achieved this victory. For 42 days we sustained a historic and novel remote strike that won protections for the working hours we’ve already been doing for years, protections that continue to make Kickstarter the great place to work that we know it is. The workers fought for this victory and hope that it can inspire other workplaces and unions to not just accept the status quo but fight for a better workplace of their own.” said Dannel Jurado, Kickstarter United member, steward, collective bargaining committee member, and member of Local 153 Executive Board. 

“When we fight, we win and that’s what happened today for Kickstarter United. Progress takes time and while we never want workers to go on strike, we are thankful that the action by Kickstarter United members brought them the workplace stability they deserve. This was always about fair pay and stability for workers.,” said Nick Galipeau, Secretary-Treasurer, OPEIU Local 153.

MORE BACKGROUND

KSRU’s previous 3-year agreement covering 59 community support specialists, trust and safety analysts, marketing professionals, software engineers, and other tech workers expired in July 2025. The KSRU bargaining committee had bargained with Kickstarter management since April 2025 to reach a tentative agreement. Management had previously rejected every proposal for a minimum salary and insists on retaining the right to return to a five-day, 40-hour workweek. The current four-day workweek allows flexibility for members and it’s the reason many agreed to join Kickstarter in the first place. Legislation has also been introduced in the New York State Assembly that would establish a four-day week pilot program. The call for a minimum salary of $85,000 corresponds with what is considered Low Income in New York City ($87,100 for 2024). 

ABOUT KICKSTARTER UNITED

On February 18th, 2020, Kickstarter employees voted to form a union and became the first major tech company in the United States to do so. We took this step in order to invest deeply in our collective future at the company we love, to create a workplace that is safer and more equitable for all, and to support organizing efforts across the tech industry and the many creative communities our work touches. We are proud to call ourselves members of OPEIU Local 153.

ABOUT OPEIU LOCAL 153

OPEIU is a union of more than 103,000 employees in technology, credit unions, hospitals, insurance agencies, colleges and universities, hotels, administrative offices, and more. As the founder of the Nonprofit Employees United initiative, OPEIU supports thousands of nonprofit workers across the country in forming unions and negotiating strong contracts. OPEIU is committed to advancing economic justice for all working people.