“Workers are mad and no longer willing to sit idly by being spoon fed ‘we’re family’ bullshit from bosses:” Logan LaHive is Helping Employees Organize & Collectively Bargain. But Did He Compromise His Own Vision By Taking Venture Capital for the Startup?

Why This Repeat Entrepreneur Founded Frank, a Software Platform for Workers. And Does He Think Chicago Is a Good Place for Entrepreneurs?

Logan is another one of those folks that I can’t recall specifically how or why we met, but I’m so thankful for his friendship. He’s someone I really consider a ‘good egg’ as we’ve enjoyed the stories of his own entrepreneurial journeys and strongly held opinions on Chicago coffee. I’m excited to shine the light on Logan and Frank, a software startup focused on worker empowerment. Thanks Logan!

Hunter Walk: Frank, your current startup, is a platform for workers to organize in order to protect or advance their rights. When I read this mission statement I think ‘unionize,’ but maybe that’s just a tactic, not a requirement. Can you help me understand the difference?

Logan LaHive: First, the problem… The incredible imbalance of power in workplaces is driving continued acceleration of income inequality, which along with climate, is a top issue facing society today. I don’t profess to have the solution — just believe that workers having a stronger voice in their workplaces is a good place to start. There are many forms of worker voice, and differing approaches to exercising it — so you could certainly say that unionizing is a tactic… but it’s clearly the most established, strongest, and legally-protected path to worker power.

Other options for workers can be taking collective action, solidarity unionism, forming independent unions, employee resource groups (ERGs), guilds, joining a worker center, new innovations/ideas, etc. All of which have merit, and may be best in different circumstances. Being honest, unionizing is fucking hard. Intentionally. Many decades of corporate lobbying, republican policy, and near non-existent enforcement of labor laws has quite successfully established roadblocks to workers…