> I wouldn't mind a union that forces my company to pay me for overtime when it's necessary. In the case of a start-up, that payment can be in the form of some

> I wouldn't mind a union that forces my company to pay me for overtime when it's necessary. In the case of a start-up, that payment can be in the form of something deferred, like partial ownership of the company. You don't need a union to force your company to pay you overtime. You just the willingness to walk when you don't like the terms. Note that "willingness to walk" is all that the company has. > Provide a career path, including both management and non-management tracks. (Programmers who don't want to manage shouldn't be stuck in dead-end positions.) Ah yes - the geek director job, handed out as patronage. People make it to real higher positions by providing the relevant value, not by coming from a particular background. Mandating folks with a background just leads to a "make work" position.