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> We haven't had pro-worker legislation in decades as far as I can tell. I don't know why unions are so bad at this as (at least IMHO) it seems like a core resp

> We haven't had pro-worker legislation in decades as far as I can tell. I don't know why unions are so bad at this as (at least IMHO) it seems like a core responsibility AND a major selling point. Unions were never as powerful as the capitalist elites. All worker rights were hard-won (often with the price of life) and there has always been a lot of counter-pressure from capitalists. For a while, following the New Deal (in the US) and WW2 globally, workers had a social context that favored them a little. Starting with the Reagan-Thatcher era though, political power has shifted rapidly in favor of capital. Neo-liberal ideology has become the dominant intellectual lens through which ("well educated") people evaluate the world. Policy makers have likewise shifted greatly towards the right-wing. New Labour in the UK [1] and the New Democrats [2] in the US are essentially center-right groups. Actual leftist positions are considered fringe in the Western World nowadays. This has in turn greatly affected the political power of unions, which are historically left-wing movements. Leftist movements can gain ground as long as the people with actual power are somewhat amenable to their goals. This hasn't been the case in about 4 decades. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Labour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Labour [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Democrats https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Democrats

LatteLazy 6y ago
I'd agree with all of this, except maybe saying English speaking instead of western world. But here we are. Joining a union won't help me in the local or immediate sense and it won't change politics. I don't like the economic or political system. But with zero options to change it, I have to pursue whatever will get me the best return for my efforts. That isn't unionisation sadly. Its a 19th century solution that doesn't seem to fit 21st century problems. :(
- leto_ii 6y ago
  One thing I'm considering, at some point, is to start a cooperative-like business. This kind of enterprise is normally associated with manual labor, but I can't think of a reason why you couldn't have a tech coop. I actually think it would go hand in hand with the idea of more craftsmanship in software development (something I'm also in favor of), not to mention that it would greatly improve workers' rights (since the workers would also be the owners of the business).

LatteLazy 6y ago

I'd agree with all of this, except maybe saying English speaking instead of western world. But here we are. Joining a union won't help me in the local or immediate sense and it won't change politics. I don't like the economic or political system. But with zero options to change it, I have to pursue whatever will get me the best return for my efforts. That isn't unionisation sadly. Its a 19th century solution that doesn't seem to fit 21st century problems. :(

leto_ii 6y ago
One thing I'm considering, at some point, is to start a cooperative-like business. This kind of enterprise is normally associated with manual labor, but I can't think of a reason why you couldn't have a tech coop. I actually think it would go hand in hand with the idea of more craftsmanship in software development (something I'm also in favor of), not to mention that it would greatly improve workers' rights (since the workers would also be the owners of the business).