3 ms·

Let's say, my app is making me $1000 a day. Apple wrongs one of the members, and union decides to strike. That will mean $1000/day in lost revenues. No thanks.

by hcho 15y ago

Let's say, my app is making me $1000 a day. Apple wrongs one of the members, and union decides to strike. That will mean $1000/day in lost revenues. No thanks. I assume anyone with a slightly successful app will say "no thanks" too. Unions only work when the members are within a narrow bracket of income.

buzzzlight 15y ago
For me personally, there is a moral code beyond money. I think that when asked "would you rather make more money if you knew you were participating in something unscrupulous?", we tend to be concerned about what it would do to other people. So are we aligned with management or labor in this case? Are we willing to stand up for what we believe in?
theunraveler 15y ago
I really disagree with this. 1. Lost wages are one of the reason unions maintain a "strike fund" or start collection pools. 2. An injury to one is an injury to all. A company pulling some funny business that costs developer A $1000 could very well do the same thing to developer B. It is, then, worth developer B's temporary loss of income to defend his/her interests in the long term. ALL workers lose when SOME workers decide to trade temporary gain for long-term power.
- hcho 15y ago
  You'll probably find out that many business owners would rather invest tjeir money in creating alternative revenue streams than paying into a strike fund.
  - theunraveler 15y ago
    That's why unions are for workers, not employers :-)
    - hcho 15y ago
      App developers are businesses, not workers.
      - theunraveler 15y ago
        That all depends on what illusions you have about how the market works. I would claim that a single app developer is still subject market concerns. Oftentimes developers are hired by bigger companies to do work, and in that case there is a typical "boss/worker" relationship, wherein they retain the right to fire you for any reason, or no reason whatsoever. In short, what I would like to see is NOT a "professional association" (like Chamber of Commerce) that advances the interests of business, but rather a union that protects the rights of working people. The union would, ideally, ally itself with other organizations of working people to not just fight for our slice of the pie, but for every worker's slice.

by hcho 15y ago

buzzzlight 15y ago

For me personally, there is a moral code beyond money. I think that when asked "would you rather make more money if you knew you were participating in something unscrupulous?", we tend to be concerned about what it would do to other people. So are we aligned with management or labor in this case? Are we willing to stand up for what we believe in?

theunraveler 15y ago

I really disagree with this. 1. Lost wages are one of the reason unions maintain a "strike fund" or start collection pools. 2. An injury to one is an injury to all. A company pulling some funny business that costs developer A $1000 could very well do the same thing to developer B. It is, then, worth developer B's temporary loss of income to defend his/her interests in the long term. ALL workers lose when SOME workers decide to trade temporary gain for long-term power.

hcho 15y ago
You'll probably find out that many business owners would rather invest tjeir money in creating alternative revenue streams than paying into a strike fund.
- theunraveler 15y ago
  That's why unions are for workers, not employers :-)
  - hcho 15y ago
    App developers are businesses, not workers.
    - theunraveler 15y ago
      That all depends on what illusions you have about how the market works. I would claim that a single app developer is still subject market concerns. Oftentimes developers are hired by bigger companies to do work, and in that case there is a typical "boss/worker" relationship, wherein they retain the right to fire you for any reason, or no reason whatsoever. In short, what I would like to see is NOT a "professional association" (like Chamber of Commerce) that advances the interests of business, but rather a union that protects the rights of working people. The union would, ideally, ally itself with other organizations of working people to not just fight for our slice of the pie, but for every worker's slice.