Getting paid X to do Y doesn't entitle the company to abuse you. In the absence of unions that's exactly what happens. You're fired and cast away at a whim, and

Getting paid X to do Y doesn't entitle the company to abuse you. In the absence of unions that's exactly what happens. You're fired and cast away at a whim, and your rights aren't protected. Acting all self righteous about "getting paid money" is beside the point. That pay only entitles the company to honest work, which you should still do. The power dynamic is lopsided in the favor of the company, righting this disparity - making things fair naturally hurts the company. Losing your job can be disastrous (especially if fired), and you can't just quit and go somewhere else, if everywhere else is the same. Even moreso for some people. Why don't you let me know all the places that have Engineering or IT unions. I've never heard of one, so they must be very rare, or none existent