5 ms·

I have read the whole website and failed to see one concrete example of action that the union could take to make game-industry employees' life better Game W

I have read the whole website and failed to see one concrete example of action that the union could take to make game-industry employees' life better Game Workers Unite is a broad-reaching organization that seeks to connect pro-union activists, exploited workers, and allies across borders and across ideologies in the name of building a unionized game industry. Even compatible with the libertarian ideology :p ?

leadingthenet 9y ago
Sure, if it's of the left-wing type (ie. the original one before Americans twisted the meaning of this word, just like liberal).
- prewett 9y ago
  Just curious, what words would you use to describe "American-style liberal" and "American-style left-wing"?
  - java_script 9y ago
    GP means left-libertarians, for example anarcho-syndicalists like Noam Chomsky. Versus American libertarian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZITP93pqtdQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZITP93pqtdQ
  - fabianhjr 9y ago
    The term "libertarian" was first used by anarchists and syndicalists in Europe. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Libertarianism#/History https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Libertarianism#/History Furthermore, modern day "libertarianism" in the USA has more to do with Objectivism/Egoism (Ayn Rand) Individualism(Individualist Anarchism). https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Libertarianism_in_the_United_States https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Libertarianism_in_the_United_Sta...
walshemj 9y ago
Off the top of my head: Lobby for improvements in labour laws to protect employees -scrapping non competes for example: Representation: In Discipline & Grievance, labour or employment triburnerals. Also as a source of pay rates etc ala BECTU, IATSE who also represent a lot of freelance workers and managers.
49531 9y ago
All unions have concrete ways to make people's lives better. That's why they exist. This website glosses over them but they are pretty basic. Things like open salaries, control over agile process, overtime for on-call, overtime pay for crunch times, more control over hiring / firing.
- briandear 9y ago
  Why would I want my salary to be the same as everyone else? If I am better than the next person and I am a better negotiator, why should my salary be identical to the lazy fuck that has the same number of years of experience? The mistake of these Marxist organizations is that they assume that workers are interchangeable parts. Maybe on an assembly line that is true, but engineering software or hardware or designing things? You can train someone to install a windshield in a Ford plant. You can’t really train someone in problem solving or creativity. I am an individual; I am not a member of a “collective.”
  - walshemj 9y ago
    Err that's not how it works in M&P (managerial and professional ) unions. SAG members don't all get paid the same ie Matt Damon doesn't get the same as say some lucky actor whos landed a lead role in pilot season. And don't take this wrong you may think you are special but your employer doesn't
  - door3 9y ago
    > Why would I want my salary to be the same as everyone else? If I am better than the next person and I am a better negotiator, why should my salary be identical to the lazy fuck that has the same number of years of experience? Why do you have disdain for other workers, who largely share your economic and political interests?
    - jpttsn 9y ago
      The same would be asked of someone about their skin color, by those who think skin colored collectives are units of economics and policy.
lalaithion 9y ago
Libertarians should, in principle, be okay with people exercising their personal freedom to form a union.
- microcolonel 9y ago
  Forming a union is no big deal, but if others don't have the right not to negotiate with or support that union by virtue of the type of work they're doing, it may as well be a government restriction on your right to pursue employment.
  - Spooky23 9y ago
    Why should you have a right to work at a particular place? The workers with a democratic process negotiated with the management. You’re not special. Why should your unwillingness to participate impact the rights of others who freely entered into an agreement?
    - microcolonel 9y ago
      > Why should you have a right to work at a particular place? Well, that's not what I said though. I said a right to pursue employment. That is, to be free to negotiate for an agreement with no forcible terms, to exchange something you have for something you want more than what you're exchanging.
      - Spooky23 9y ago
        You have that. You can take a job in a union shop and you’re able to pursue negotiations as part of the democratic process in the union. My colleague in a former job is in the middle of that right now, running for union office. Or you can go somewhere else. Whatever you’re negotiating yourself, 9/10 times you’re still an at will employee and really have no bargaining power. Individual negotiations for jobs are like buying a car — every dude is telling you how they beat the dealer. I’ve hired many many software people over the years and almost never leave a fairly narrow salary band — maybe 5% of cases. Offering a few percent over average is usually enough.

leadingthenet 9y ago

Sure, if it's of the left-wing type (ie. the original one before Americans twisted the meaning of this word, just like liberal).

prewett 9y ago
Just curious, what words would you use to describe "American-style liberal" and "American-style left-wing"?
- java_script 9y ago
  GP means left-libertarians, for example anarcho-syndicalists like Noam Chomsky. Versus American libertarian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZITP93pqtdQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZITP93pqtdQ
- fabianhjr 9y ago
  The term "libertarian" was first used by anarchists and syndicalists in Europe. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Libertarianism#/History https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Libertarianism#/History Furthermore, modern day "libertarianism" in the USA has more to do with Objectivism/Egoism (Ayn Rand) Individualism(Individualist Anarchism). https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Libertarianism_in_the_United_States https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Libertarianism_in_the_United_Sta...

walshemj 9y ago

Off the top of my head: Lobby for improvements in labour laws to protect employees -scrapping non competes for example: Representation: In Discipline & Grievance, labour or employment triburnerals. Also as a source of pay rates etc ala BECTU, IATSE who also represent a lot of freelance workers and managers.

49531 9y ago

All unions have concrete ways to make people's lives better. That's why they exist. This website glosses over them but they are pretty basic. Things like open salaries, control over agile process, overtime for on-call, overtime pay for crunch times, more control over hiring / firing.

briandear 9y ago
Why would I want my salary to be the same as everyone else? If I am better than the next person and I am a better negotiator, why should my salary be identical to the lazy fuck that has the same number of years of experience? The mistake of these Marxist organizations is that they assume that workers are interchangeable parts. Maybe on an assembly line that is true, but engineering software or hardware or designing things? You can train someone to install a windshield in a Ford plant. You can’t really train someone in problem solving or creativity. I am an individual; I am not a member of a “collective.”
- walshemj 9y ago
  Err that's not how it works in M&P (managerial and professional ) unions. SAG members don't all get paid the same ie Matt Damon doesn't get the same as say some lucky actor whos landed a lead role in pilot season. And don't take this wrong you may think you are special but your employer doesn't
- door3 9y ago
  > Why would I want my salary to be the same as everyone else? If I am better than the next person and I am a better negotiator, why should my salary be identical to the lazy fuck that has the same number of years of experience? Why do you have disdain for other workers, who largely share your economic and political interests?
  - jpttsn 9y ago
    The same would be asked of someone about their skin color, by those who think skin colored collectives are units of economics and policy.

lalaithion 9y ago

Libertarians should, in principle, be okay with people exercising their personal freedom to form a union.

microcolonel 9y ago
Forming a union is no big deal, but if others don't have the right not to negotiate with or support that union by virtue of the type of work they're doing, it may as well be a government restriction on your right to pursue employment.
- Spooky23 9y ago
  Why should you have a right to work at a particular place? The workers with a democratic process negotiated with the management. You’re not special. Why should your unwillingness to participate impact the rights of others who freely entered into an agreement?
  - microcolonel 9y ago
    > Why should you have a right to work at a particular place? Well, that's not what I said though. I said a right to pursue employment. That is, to be free to negotiate for an agreement with no forcible terms, to exchange something you have for something you want more than what you're exchanging.
    - Spooky23 9y ago
      You have that. You can take a job in a union shop and you’re able to pursue negotiations as part of the democratic process in the union. My colleague in a former job is in the middle of that right now, running for union office. Or you can go somewhere else. Whatever you’re negotiating yourself, 9/10 times you’re still an at will employee and really have no bargaining power. Individual negotiations for jobs are like buying a car — every dude is telling you how they beat the dealer. I’ve hired many many software people over the years and almost never leave a fairly narrow salary band — maybe 5% of cases. Offering a few percent over average is usually enough.