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You're missing the point. What if the Google union decides to put their weight behind Trump, because he gives tax incentives to search engine companies? And if
by pfarnsworth 9y ago
You're missing the point. What if the Google union decides to put their weight behind Trump, because he gives tax incentives to search engine companies? And if you're vehemently against Trump and his policies, then where does that leave you? Your tax dues are now being spent on supporting a political campaign that you firmly don't support.
And that's the point. Unions are nothing but friction, especially for industries such as tech. I bet the employees of Google can self-organize much more efficiently without a union than with a union, and will be much more effective as well.
And as I mention below, Silicon Valley is awash with employee wealth. How exactly could unions have made things better for employees than what has already been accomplished without the help of a single union?
- confounded 9y agoThanks (sincerely) for giving your angle and engaging with my questions. I’m a relatively recent import to the US, so I haven’t had many of these conversations with Americans in tech before. Your worries sound very unlikely and theoretical to me, but I don’t imagine they’re uncommon among US tech workers.
- pfarnsworth 9y agoIt's not just theoretical, there is a very large split in the country because of politics. You will find many conservatives in Silicon Valley, and many liberals in the Deep South. Values are different across the board. You didn't answer my question as to how unions would benefit Silicon Valley workers. What more could unions add that haven't already been added without the help of unions?
- confounded 9y agoI think we both conjure very different conceptual entities when we imagine “The Google Engineering Union”, and are at this point talking unproductively at equally valid and imaginary crossed-purposes. The truth is that neither of us know how a union at Google would change things, because it doesn’t exist.
- Consultant32452 9y agoI don't see how the specifics of what any union, at Google or otherwise, might support matters. The odds that you will always be philosophically aligned with your union seems very small. But if joining the union is a requirement for employment then you will be forced to fund your own philosophical opposition.
- jononor 9y agoHaving unions be condition for employment is the cause of issues. People need free choice whether they want to be part of a union and which union they will support.