5 ms·

Unions also don't need to be used for personal compensation and benefits. Plenty of software unions fighting for the ethical interests of the employees, which i

• dekhn 5y ago
  What if I disagree with the union's position on ethics? For example, I do not agree with Google's decision to avoid some DoD contracts (I worked in Google at the time). I'd only want a union to handle my work aspects (and even then... it's not clear they would provide me with all the wonderful things I have received over the years from Google and other tech employers).
  • shadowgovt 5y ago
    As a member of the union, you have a vote on the union's position on issues. This differs from your options outside the union, where your only "vote" is to quit, which (pathologically) concentrates within the company the opinion you would have voted against.
    • ergocoder 5y ago
      It is the same problem, isn't it? If I want to work on those projects and don't agree with the union, and 50% of the Union vote the other way, my only choice is also to quit. I don't agree with the union's direction of forbidding company to work on a perfectly legal project. If you want the project to be illegal, maybe call your senate instead?
      • _wolfie_ 5y ago
        I don't know how the union law works in the US. Over here (Europe), you can have multiple unions in one company. It takes minimal 3 people to form one. So you could probably form a union for pro-DoD people?
        • dekhn 5y ago
          I think typically there is just 1 union. Otherwise you don't have as much collective bargaining power. I don't want to form unions over single issues.
        • mrits 5y ago
          I'm not so sure a body full of people that voted for our politicians are going to indirectly fix their unethical behavior through a corporation.
          • ergocoder 5y ago
            Here lies the problem. You don't even recognize others' point of view where they think it is perfectly fine. You straight up imply other people (who voted for politicians) are unethical.
        • 6gvONxR4sf7o 5y ago
          I think it’s generally one per company, which seems to be a big factor in people’s negative experiences with them.
        • Jensson 5y ago
          In USA if other people form a union at your company then you have to pay their union dues even if you don't like the union. In EU that is illegal, but in USA that is how it works. If you ever wonder why Americans are so anti unions that is why.
          • shadowgovt 5y ago
            That actually varies from state-to-state.
            • dekhn 5y ago
              Some more details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law
    • dekhn 5y ago
      I don't want to vote on every position. I live in a representative democracy and I want to select a leader who will make wise decisions that are (mostly) in line with mine.
• throw_m239339 5y ago
  > Plenty of software unions fighting for the ethical interests of the employees My country has strong unions (industry wide), yet any employee or group of employees who would engage in that sort of activism, unrelated to bettering work conditions or compensation negotiation, for instance trying to dictate their boss who they should or shouldn't do business with purely for political reasons or affiliations, would be deemed insubordinate and would be fired, lawfully.