the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, over 14,000 Etsy workers are striking from 11 to 18 April to protest the company’s increase in transaction fees. The workers are asking the company to cancel its fee increase, take down resellers who offer mass-produced goods, introduce a faster seller support system, allow sellers to opt-out of off-platform advertising, and end the Star Seller program. Etsy says its new fee increase will allow it to invest in marketing, customer support, and moderation. The company’s revenue gains grew more than 106% in 2020 to $10 billion, and by another 31% in 2021.
Now there is talk of a “Seller Union” after witnessing the recent union victories among Starbucks baristas and at an Amazon warehouse, Etsy sellers seem inspired to organize. Worker activism has surged across the country since the start of the pandemic. The tightening labor market in the U.S. further galvanized support for unionization, and workers have seized the moment to demand higher pay and better benefits from their employers.
idiots.
…Ruining a good thing