Seven years before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the U.S. and forever changed how many Americans view their career, work environment, and true value to their employer, the Reddit subreddit r/Antiwork was born, largely as a protest against—and discussion forum about—the mounting pressures everyday workers face in a purely capitalistic society. Bad bosses, low wages, long hours, lack of overtime, dwindling benefits, dead-end positions, ever-demanding customers, meaningless jobs, brutal commutes, to name a few.
Now, nearly two years into the pandemic, the underlying message of r/Antiwork’s forums is ringing truer than ever. The subreddit is one of the fastest-growing and most-active discussion boards on the social media platform, with 1.66 million subscribers, up from a little over 100,000 at the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak.
At its core, r/Antiwork isn’t about abolishing work or people quitting their jobs—although examples of the latter can be seen throughout the feed, with screenshots of dramatic and often humorous text exchanges with supervisors at the moment of resignation. Rather, the subreddit is about empowering the labor force by any means necessary—ask for that raise, negotiate a hybrid work schedule, demand a reasonable workload. If all else fails, be confident enough to walk away for a better opportunity. Don’t settle for the norms that Corporate America has established.
While the architecture profession is not featured prominently in r/Antiwork—lower-paying, hourly jobs like retail, restaurant, and small business positions tend to be the focus—the industry is not immune to the ills that plague American work culture. Architects stand with doctors and lawyers as among the most highly educated and credentialed professionals in the nation. They work long hours, with demanding deadlines and little schedule flexibility—yet with meager pay relative to their peers in the legal and medical professions.
It’s no surprise, then, that signs of the r/Antiwork movement are starting to appear in the architecture field. The most glaring example is at New York City-based SHoP Architects. There, employees of the 135-person firm announced in late December that they are advancing a plan to form a union, citing low pay and long hours. If formalized, the effort would be the first to successfully create a union at a prominent private-sector architecture firm in the U.S., according to the New York Times. At the time of the report, more than half of SHoP’s eligible colleagues had signed cards supporting the union, which would affiliate with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
The Times reported that two other prominent New York firms are following suit. I expect other AE firms to join the movement in the coming months.
Related Stories
| Sep 21, 2010
New BOMA-Kingsley Report Shows Compression in Utilities and Total Operating Expenses
A new report from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and Kingsley Associates shows that property professionals are trimming building operating expenses to stay competitive in today’s challenging marketplace. The report, which analyzes data from BOMA International’s 2010 Experience Exchange Report® (EER), revealed a $0.09 (1.1 percent) decrease in total operating expenses for U.S. private-sector buildings during 2009.
| Sep 21, 2010
Forecast: Existing buildings to earn 50% of green building certifications
A new report from Pike Research forecasts that by 2020, nearly half the green building certifications will be for existing buildings—accounting for 25 billion sf. The study, “Green Building Certification Programs,” analyzed current market and regulatory conditions related to green building certification programs, and found that green building remain robust during the recession and that certifications for existing buildings are an increasing area of focus.
| Sep 21, 2010
Middough Inc. Celebrates its 60th Anniversary
Middough Inc., a top ranking U.S. architectural, engineering and management services company, announces the celebration of its 60th anniversary, says President and CEO, Ronald R. Ledin, PE.
| Sep 16, 2010
Gehry’s Santa Monica Place gets a wave of changes
Omniplan, in association with Jerde Partnership, created an updated design for Santa Monica Place, a shopping mall designed by Frank Gehry in 1980.
| Sep 16, 2010
Green recreation/wellness center targets physical, environmental health
The 151,000-sf recreation and wellness center at California State University’s Sacramento campus, called the WELL (for “wellness, education, leisure, lifestyle”), has a fitness center, café, indoor track, gymnasium, racquetball courts, educational and counseling space, the largest rock climbing wall in the CSU system.
| Sep 13, 2010
Community college police, parking structure targets LEED Platinum
The San Diego Community College District's $1.555 billion construction program continues with groundbreaking for a 6,000-sf police substation and an 828-space, four-story parking structure at San Diego Miramar College.
| Sep 13, 2010
Campus housing fosters community connection
A 600,000-sf complex on the University of Washington's Seattle campus will include four residence halls for 1,650 students and a 100-seat cafe, 8,000-sf grocery store, and conference center with 200-seat auditorium for both student and community use.
| Sep 13, 2010
Second Time Around
A Building Team preserves the historic facade of a Broadway theater en route to creating the first green playhouse on the Great White Way.