Chatbot Operators Behind Real Estate Firm AppFolio’s AI Software Win Union Election with Communications Workers of America

(Goleta, California) —Today the human operators behind AppFolio’s award-winning AI software, Lisa, won their union election and will be represented by the Communications Workers of America. The workers, known as Lisa Operators United/CWA are an all remote workforce spread out all across the country. 

“It's been immensely fulfilling to talk to my coworkers over the past year and realize that yes, we do deserve a say in our workplace conditions. Things like changes in policies and access to benefits affect us all. That's why we formed Lisa Operators United/CWA– to make sure that we have a say in things that affect us and hopefully change our workplace for the better,” said El Schoepf, Lisa Operator and member of Lisa Operators United/CWA. 

AppFolio is a property management software company founded in 2006 that provides industry-specific, cloud-based business software solutions, services and data analytics to the real estate and legal markets.

Early this year, Lisa operators announced the formation of their union to win fair wages and benefits for all non full-time Lisa workers and to create a more transparent and equitable workplace. The workers’ organizing campaign was supported through CWA’s Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA). CODE-CWA has helped tech workers form unions at companies including Alphabet, the New York Times, EveryAction, Mobilize, and Catalist. 

"Our team is made up of  talented individuals who truly care about making AppFolio a great place to work. I'm so proud of the hard work my coworkers have put into organizing and supporting the formation of Lisa Operators United and we are excited to begin negotiating for change in our workplace. With the majority of Lisa operators voting to support the union, we truly believe that we’ll be stronger and happier when we ratify an equitable contract for our colleagues," said Kel Smith, Lisa Operator and member of Lisa Operators United/CWA. 

###

Follow Lisa Operators United/CWA at @lisaopsunited

The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a network of worker-organizers and their staff working every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, game, and digital industries in the United States and Canada.