4 ms·
Makes a decent argument for tech worker unions. The classic HN response is "oh, but they can just find another job", until that defining factor is being followe
by MSFT_Edging 4y ago
Makes a decent argument for tech worker unions. The classic HN response is "oh, but they can just find another job", until that defining factor is being followed as a trend by nearly every company in the area.
The companies would have a much harder time telling productive employees to get fucked and come to the office with some collective bargaining.
- scarab92 4y agoThe problem with unions is that they tend to average out pay and conditions. For many jobs that's fine, but white collar jobs, especially tech, has enormous variability in the performance and preferrences of different employees in the same nominal role. The result is that high achievers often don't want to be in a unionised workforce, and low achievers do. Companies obviously aren't going to reward low achievers at the expense of high achievers, so they won't agree to bargain.
- kentrado 4y agoBeing in a union doesn't mean that you can't negotiate your salary.
- kcplate 4y agoNo, but generally you might find yourself stuck in box with both a negotiated minimum and a negotiated maximum and in a lot of cases that sliding scale is driven by seniority with the org or union more than capability. Tends to work well for factories and trades, but is not so great for knowledge workers. It also can take your organization out of the market for highly capable but younger prospects.
- kentrado 4y agoThat's not been my experience at all. What union of IT workers does this? Where are you getting this? I've been in unionized workplaces (Europe). There's been a minimum but never a maximum and the sliding scale is not driven by seniority with the or union as you say. I'm afraid you might extrapolating from things you've heard about factory type unions.
- Chinjut 4y agoCase in point: Hollywood actors are all in a union.