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Pipe dream. America has changed so much and labor is so mobile now that unionization will not make a dent. It would make sense when you were working at the sa

Pipe dream. America has changed so much and labor is so mobile now that unionization will not make a dent. It would make sense when you were working at the same company, in the same town for 20 years. But all that has changed. We now change jobs every few years. Or even take time off, or work remotely. We change cities all the time. Mobility and choice is where it's at now. Unions make sense for careers like police and old-style factories. Besides, everyone knows that all the unions -- except the police unions no longer have any teeth. I'm sort of tired of people living in some kind of alternate reality to think that an initiative like this could really work. (I'm by no means anti-union. I'm just a realist.)

arbitrary_name 5y ago
Hasn't internal mobility within the US actually declined? And, forgive my ignorance, why would people changing jobs or locations prevent a unionization drive bring successful? Furthermore, what do you propose people do in the context in which jobs are continually made less stable and well paying, while corporate profits are strong, and additionally in which labor appears to be in high demand? Feels like this is exactly the right time to try again to make this happen?
- sokoloff 5y ago
  If unions heavily favor long-tenured union members, people who move around a lot (or even an average amount) will be disadvantaged more than typical as the “new employee”. Old-time Charlie will be paying the same 1-1.5% that you are to the union but getting a lot more from it.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
brundolf 5y ago
> We now change jobs every few years. Or even take time off, or work remotely. We change cities all the time. Mobility and choice is where it's at now. I think your anecdata around (presumably) tech labor is pretty wildly irrelevant for Amazon warehouse workers.
- nemo44x 5y ago
  Is it? They have 150% turnover in the warehouses. Amazon warehouse worker is not a long term job for most people that do it.
  - Klinky 5y ago
    That doesn't mean people are going on to bigger and better things that OPs mobility concept implies. It could just mean the work environment is terrible.
  - the-smug-one 5y ago
    >Amazon warehouse worker is not a long term job for most people that do it. And why is that? I don't know but I doubt it is because they're "warehouse nomads". If Amazon warehouse offered stable jobs with good wages and benefits I doubt the turnover would look the way it does.
    - nemo44x 5y ago
      Amazon offers excellent wages and benefits for the industry.
cmckn 5y ago
I would argue that you are the one in the alternate reality, my friend. The majority of Americans live near where they grew up[0]. Mobility has actually decreased in recent decades. The lifestyle of switching jobs and locations every few years is not only unrealistic, it’s undesirable for most people I grew up with. [0] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/24/upshot/24up-family.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/24/upshot/24up-f...

arbitrary_name 5y ago

Hasn't internal mobility within the US actually declined? And, forgive my ignorance, why would people changing jobs or locations prevent a unionization drive bring successful? Furthermore, what do you propose people do in the context in which jobs are continually made less stable and well paying, while corporate profits are strong, and additionally in which labor appears to be in high demand? Feels like this is exactly the right time to try again to make this happen?

sokoloff 5y ago
If unions heavily favor long-tenured union members, people who move around a lot (or even an average amount) will be disadvantaged more than typical as the “new employee”. Old-time Charlie will be paying the same 1-1.5% that you are to the union but getting a lot more from it.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

brundolf 5y ago

> We now change jobs every few years. Or even take time off, or work remotely. We change cities all the time. Mobility and choice is where it's at now. I think your anecdata around (presumably) tech labor is pretty wildly irrelevant for Amazon warehouse workers.

nemo44x 5y ago
Is it? They have 150% turnover in the warehouses. Amazon warehouse worker is not a long term job for most people that do it.
- Klinky 5y ago
  That doesn't mean people are going on to bigger and better things that OPs mobility concept implies. It could just mean the work environment is terrible.
- the-smug-one 5y ago
  >Amazon warehouse worker is not a long term job for most people that do it. And why is that? I don't know but I doubt it is because they're "warehouse nomads". If Amazon warehouse offered stable jobs with good wages and benefits I doubt the turnover would look the way it does.
  - nemo44x 5y ago
    Amazon offers excellent wages and benefits for the industry.

cmckn 5y ago

I would argue that you are the one in the alternate reality, my friend. The majority of Americans live near where they grew up[0]. Mobility has actually decreased in recent decades. The lifestyle of switching jobs and locations every few years is not only unrealistic, it’s undesirable for most people I grew up with. [0] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/24/upshot/24up-family.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/24/upshot/24up-f...