🍌 BunchUp

by Team Labubananas | CornHacks 2025

🌟 Overview

BunchUp is a full-stack social platform designed to empower workers and unions by improving transparency, collaboration, and organization.
It bridges the gap between employees and union representatives, making it easier to form, join, and engage with unions.

Our mission is simple: make labor organization as easy and accessible as creating a group chat.

Think of it as "Reddit for labor unions"—a safe digital space for workers to organize, communicate, and advocate for better working conditions.

💡 Problem Statement

Across many industries, workers face significant challenges in organizing and communicating effectively.
From factories to farms, many employees lack access to centralized platforms where they can safely discuss workplace conditions, share updates, and connect with unions that represent them.

This communication gap weakens labor solidarity, slows down the process of forming unions, and often leaves workers unaware of their rights or the resources available to them.
During our research, we were particularly inspired by stories of banana plantation workers who were overworked and isolated, unable to effectively communicate across departments or reach out to labor representatives. Their situation sparked our goal: to create a simple, secure platform where every worker's voice can be heard.

🧠 Inspiration

Our idea was inspired by the struggles of banana plantation workers who lacked the means to collectively voice their concerns or organize due to poor communication channels.
Their resilience and need for unity motivated our team to create a tool that would make forming unions as effortless as forming friendships online.

🚀 Key Features

🏢 Union Management

Union Discovery & Browsing – Browse all available unions with search and industry filtering
Join/Leave Unions – One-click membership management with real-time member counts
Industry Classification – Unions organized by Healthcare, Technology, Education, Manufacturing, Transportation, Hospitality, and more
Union Profiles – Detailed information including descriptions, member counts, and relevant tags

💬 Communication & Engagement

Forum System – Reddit-style posts with upvoting/downvoting functionality
Comments – Threaded discussions on posts with user attribution
Real-time Updates – Stay informed about union news and announcements
Union-Specific Channels – Dedicated spaces for each union to communicate

🗳️ Democratic Decision Making

Poll Creation – Organizers and admins can create polls with multiple options
Secure Voting – One vote per user per poll with real-time results
Vote Tracking – View current vote counts and percentages
Poll History – Access past polls and decisions

📅 Event Management

Event Creation & Scheduling – Coordinate union meetings, training sessions, and rallies
Event Details – Title, description, location, start/end times
RSVP System – Track event attendance with attendee counts
Calendar View – Visualize upcoming union events
Event Permissions – Only organizers and admins can create events

🔒 Anonymous Feedback

Anonymous Submissions – Workers can voice concerns without fear of retaliation
Post-Specific Feedback – Leave feedback on specific posts or general feedback
Protected Identity – Complete anonymity preserved in the system
Feedback Review – Organizers can view and respond to concerns

👥 Role-Based Access Control

Member Role – Join unions, create posts, vote, comment, submit feedback
Organizer Role – Create unions, events, polls, plus all member permissions
Admin Role – Full system access and user management capabilities
Secure Authentication – JWT-based authentication with bcrypt password hashing

🤖 AI Legal Assistant

Labor Law Guidance – Get information about overtime, breaks, and working hours
Retaliation Protection – Advice on anti-retaliation protections
Contract Help – Guidance on understanding contract terms
Union Procedures – Information about union processes and procedures
Disclaimer System – Clear messaging that advice is informational, not legal counsel

🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend

Framework: FastAPI (Python 3.x)
Database: SQLAlchemy ORM with SQLite (dev) / PostgreSQL (production-ready)
Authentication: JWT tokens with OAuth2PasswordBearer
Password Security: bcrypt hashing
API Documentation: Auto-generated OpenAPI/Swagger docs
Testing: pytest with 95%+ coverage
Environment: python-dotenv for configuration

Frontend

Framework: Next.js 16.0.0 (React 19.2.0)
Language: TypeScript
Styling: Tailwind CSS 4.1.9
UI Components: Radix UI primitives
Form Handling: React Hook Form with Zod validation
State Management: React Context API
Icons: Lucide React
Charts: Recharts for data visualization
Date Handling: date-fns

Key Backend Dependencies

fastapi>=0.95.0
uvicorn[standard]>=0.22.0
SQLAlchemy>=1.4
pydantic>=1.10
python-jose[cryptography]>=3.3.0
passlib[bcrypt]>=1.7.4
bcrypt==4.0.1
python-dotenv>=1.0
python-multipart>=0.0.6

Development & Testing

Testing Framework: pytest with pytest-cov
HTTP Client: httpx for async testing
Integration Tests: Selenium with webdriver-manager
API Testing: requests library
Test Database: Isolated test.db for test isolation

📂 Project Structure

labubananas/
├── backend/
│   ├── main.py                 # FastAPI application entry point
│   ├── db.py                   # Database configuration and session management
│   ├── models.py               # SQLAlchemy database models
│   ├── schemas.py              # Pydantic schemas for request/response validation
│   ├── security.py             # JWT authentication and password hashing
│   ├── requirements.txt        # Python dependencies
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── __init__.py         # API router aggregation
│   │   ├── auth.py             # Authentication endpoints (register, login)
│   │   ├── unions.py           # Union CRUD and membership management
│   │   ├── posts.py            # Forum posts, comments, voting
│   │   ├── polls.py            # Poll creation and voting
│   │   ├── events.py           # Event scheduling and RSVP
│   │   ├── feedback.py         # Anonymous feedback system
│   │   └── chatbot.py          # AI legal assistant endpoints
│   └── tests/
│       ├── conftest.py         # Pytest fixtures and configuration
│       ├── test_auth.py        # Authentication tests
│       ├── test_unions.py      # Union management tests
│       ├── test_posts.py       # Posts and comments tests
│       ├── test_polls.py       # Polling system tests
│       ├── test_events.py      # Event management tests
│       ├── test_feedback.py    # Feedback system tests
│       └── test_selenium_integration.py
│
├── frontend/
│   ├── app/
│   │   ├── page.tsx            # Landing page
│   │   ├── layout.tsx          # Root layout with theme provider
│   │   ├── globals.css         # Global styles
│   │   ├── dashboard/          # User dashboard
│   │   ├── forum/              # Forum/posts view
│   │   ├── unions/             # Union browsing and management
│   │   ├── calendar/           # Event calendar
│   │   ├── sign-in/            # Login page
│   │   └── sign-up/            # Registration page
│   ├── components/
│   │   ├── navbar.tsx
│   │   ├── forum-navbar.tsx
│   │   ├── post-card.tsx       # Individual post display
│   │   ├── comment-section.tsx
│   │   ├── poll-card.tsx
│   │   ├── feedback-form.tsx
│   │   ├── ai-chatbot-button.tsx
│   │   ├── union-sidebar.tsx
│   │   └── ui/                 # Reusable Radix UI components
│   ├── lib/
│   │   ├── api.ts              # API client and type definitions
│   │   ├── user-context.tsx    # User authentication context
│   │   └── utils.ts            # Utility functions
│   └── package.json
│
├── README.md                   # This file
├── QUICK_SETUP.md              # Quick start guide
├── UNION_FEATURES.md           # Union features documentation
├── SEED_DATA_REFERENCE.md      # Test data and credentials
├── pytest.ini                  # Pytest configuration
└── .env.example                # Environment variables template

🗄️ Database Schema

Core Models

User

id, username (unique), hashed_password, role (member/organizer/admin), created_at
Relationships: comments, union_memberships, post_votes

Union

id, name (unique), description, industry, tags, created_at
Relationships: posts, members
Features: Industry classification, searchable tags, member tracking

UnionMember (Join Table)

id, union_id, user_id, joined_at
Unique constraint on (union_id, user_id)

Post

id, title, content, union_id, created_at
Relationships: comments, feedbacks, votes
Features: Upvote/downvote system

Comment

id, content, post_id, user_id, created_at, updated_at
Features: User attribution, edit tracking

PostVote

id, post_id, user_id, vote_type (up/down), created_at
Unique constraint per user per post

Poll

id, question, union_id, created_at
Relationships: options

PollOption

id, poll_id, text
Relationships: votes

Vote

id, poll_id, option_id, user_id, created_at
Unique constraint: one vote per user per poll

Event

id, title, description, location, start_time, end_time, union_id, creator_id, created_at
Relationships: attendees
Features: RSVP tracking

EventAttendee

id, event_id, user_id, created_at
Unique constraint on (event_id, user_id)

Feedback

id, post_id (optional), anonymous (boolean), message, created_at
Features: Anonymous submission support

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Python 3.8+
Node.js 18+ and npm/pnpm
Git

Backend Setup

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/sandarika/labubananas.git
cd labubananas

Set up Python virtual environment

python -m venv .venv
# Windows
.venv\Scripts\activate
# Linux/Mac
source .venv/bin/activate

Install backend dependencies

cd backend
pip install -r requirements.txt

Set up environment variables (optional)

# Create .env file in backend/ directory
SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here
JWT_ALGORITHM=HS256
ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRE_MINUTES=1440
DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///./test.db  # or your PostgreSQL URL

Run database migrations (if needed)

python migrate_unions.py
python migrate_events.py

Seed the database (optional but recommended)

python seed_database.py
# Or for sample unions:
python create_sample_unions.py

Start the backend server

uvicorn main:app --reload
# Server will run on http://localhost:8000
# API docs available at http://localhost:8000/docs

Frontend Setup

Navigate to frontend directory

cd frontend

Install dependencies

npm install
# or
pnpm install

Start the development server

npm run dev
# or
pnpm dev
# Frontend will run on http://localhost:3000

Running Tests

cd backend
# Run all tests
pytest tests/ -v

# Run with coverage
pytest tests/ --cov=. --cov-report=html

# Run specific test file
pytest tests/test_auth.py -v

📚 API Documentation

Once the backend is running, access the interactive API documentation at:

Swagger UI: http://localhost:8000/docs
ReDoc: http://localhost:8000/redoc

Key API Endpoints

Authentication

POST /api/auth/register - Register new user
POST /api/auth/token - Login and get JWT token

Unions

GET /api/unions/ - List all unions (with search & filter)
POST /api/unions/ - Create union (organizer/admin only)
GET /api/unions/{id} - Get union details
POST /api/unions/{id}/join - Join a union
POST /api/unions/{id}/leave - Leave a union

Posts

GET /api/posts/union/{union_id} - List posts in union
POST /api/posts/union/{union_id} - Create post in union
GET /api/posts/{post_id} - Get single post
POST /api/posts/{post_id}/comments - Add comment
POST /api/posts/{post_id}/vote - Upvote/downvote post

Polls

GET /api/polls/ - List all polls
POST /api/polls/ - Create poll (organizer/admin only)
POST /api/polls/{poll_id}/vote - Cast vote
GET /api/polls/{poll_id}/results - Get poll results

Events

GET /api/events/ - List all events
POST /api/events/ - Create event (organizer/admin only)
GET /api/events/{event_id} - Get event details
PUT /api/events/{event_id} - Update event
POST /api/events/{event_id}/attend - RSVP to event
DELETE /api/events/{event_id}/attend - Cancel RSVP

Feedback

POST /api/feedbacks/ - Submit general feedback
POST /api/feedbacks/post/{post_id} - Submit post-specific feedback
GET /api/feedbacks/post/{post_id} - Get feedback for post

Chatbot

POST /api/chatbot/ask - Ask legal question

🧪 Test Data

See SEED_DATA_REFERENCE.md for comprehensive test data including:

Default password: password123 (most users) / admin123 (admin)
Admin account: admin / admin123
25+ test users across various roles and industries
15+ sample unions including the special "Banana Plantation Workers United 🍌"
100+ posts, comments, polls, and events

🔐 Security Features

JWT Authentication - Secure token-based authentication
Password Hashing - bcrypt with automatic salt generation
Role-Based Access Control - Granular permissions per endpoint
Anonymous Feedback - True anonymity preservation
Input Validation - Pydantic schemas validate all inputs
SQL Injection Protection - SQLAlchemy ORM parameterization
CORS Configuration - Configurable cross-origin policies

🌍 Real-World Scalability

BunchUp is built with scalability and impact in mind.
While initially designed for demonstration at CornHacks 2025, the platform's architecture can easily expand to support real-world labor unions across industries.

Potential Growth Paths:

Integration with existing union databases and HR systems for membership verification
Expansion to include multilingual support, enabling use in global labor markets
Partnerships with nonprofit organizations and labor advocacy groups to reach underrepresented workers
Development of a mobile app version for ease of access in low-connectivity environments
Enhanced data encryption and anonymity features for worker protection
Real-time notifications using WebSockets for instant updates
File sharing for union documents and resources
Video conferencing integration for remote meetings
Analytics dashboard for union organizers

By scaling responsibly, BunchUp has the potential to become a cornerstone platform for digital labor organization worldwide.

🤝 Contributing

This project was created for CornHacks 2025. For collaboration or inquiries, please contact the team members.

📄 License

This project is part of the CornHacks 2025 submission by Team Labubananas.

🧑‍💻 Team Labubananas

Mason Miller
Ananya Bindu Mirle
Rithvika Thunuguntla
Sandarika Warjri

CornHacks 2025 Submission
"Forming Unions. Forming Change."

🙏 Acknowledgments

Special thanks to:

The banana plantation workers who inspired this project
CornHacks 2025 organizers
All workers fighting for better working conditions worldwide

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 42 Commits
.github		.github
backend		backend
frontend		frontend
.env.example		.env.example
.gitignore		.gitignore
BANANA_UNION_SPOTLIGHT.md		BANANA_UNION_SPOTLIGHT.md
QUICK_SETUP.md		QUICK_SETUP.md
README.md		README.md
SEED_DATA_REFERENCE.md		SEED_DATA_REFERENCE.md
UNION_FEATURES.md		UNION_FEATURES.md
bunch_up.db		bunch_up.db
check_backend_db.py		check_backend_db.py
check_db.py		check_db.py
list_unions.py		list_unions.py
main.py		main.py
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
pytest.ini		pytest.ini
test.db		test.db
test_bunch_up.db		test_bunch_up.db

Folders and files

Latest commit

History

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🍌 BunchUp

by Team Labubananas | CornHacks 2025

🌟 Overview

💡 Problem Statement

🧠 Inspiration

🚀 Key Features

🏢 Union Management

💬 Communication & Engagement

🗳️ Democratic Decision Making

📅 Event Management

🔒 Anonymous Feedback

👥 Role-Based Access Control

🤖 AI Legal Assistant

🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend

Frontend

Key Backend Dependencies

Development & Testing

📂 Project Structure

🗄️ Database Schema

Core Models

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Backend Setup

Frontend Setup

Running Tests

📚 API Documentation

Key API Endpoints

Authentication

Unions

Posts

Polls

Events

Feedback

Chatbot

🧪 Test Data

🔐 Security Features

🌍 Real-World Scalability

Potential Growth Paths:

🤝 Contributing

📄 License

🧑‍💻 Team Labubananas

🙏 Acknowledgments

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