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Code for America's union ratified their first contract last year. Kickstarter United ratified their first contract in 2022. I myself was in the Glitch union whe

by Osmose 3y ago

Code for America's union ratified their first contract last year. Kickstarter United ratified their first contract in 2022. I myself was in the Glitch union when we won voluntary recognition several years ago. (We had layoffs unrelated to the union and more related to a bad monetization scheme and high costs, during which the union negotiated increased severance and health insurance coverage vs we were initially offered.) Union successes are definitely growing in tech.

sillysaurusx 3y ago
Just wanted to say thank you, this is interesting to hear. Is there really no downside to unionizing? It seems too good to be true, or that it must come with some kind of catch. But enough people here have said nope, no catch, that I’m starting to reconsider whether it’s possible.
- Auracle 3y ago
  Unions can cause industries/companies to stagnate if they make it too hard to fire people or if they squeeze their respective companies out of too much money. For union members pay, layoffs, etc. are often decided by seniority and not by ability or how hard you work. Whether or not that's worth it is up to you.
- Osmose 3y ago
  Unions sometimes charge union dues in order to fund the operations of the union (i.e. pay for negotiators, fund initiatives of a larger union if you joined one instead of forming an independent union, etc.). If you only consider your total compensation this is a potential downside, but the money has to come from _somewhere_ and often the union can win benefits that exceed the value of the dues being paid in. A more subtle "downside" is that unions represent the workers—including the workers you _don't_ like. That project manager who you hate is also a laborer with rights who deserves protection from the union, and at some point you will need to come to terms with cooperating with people you think have horrific political views or whatever. I use quotes because I don't think this is a real downside at all. Unions are not simply a cost-benefit option you choose because it helps you personally, they are the counterbalance to the implicit power employers have over their employees. Even if your benefits are great and you're paid very well, you should still have a union to represent you.

by Osmose 3y ago

sillysaurusx 3y ago

Just wanted to say thank you, this is interesting to hear. Is there really no downside to unionizing? It seems too good to be true, or that it must come with some kind of catch. But enough people here have said nope, no catch, that I’m starting to reconsider whether it’s possible.

Auracle 3y ago
Unions can cause industries/companies to stagnate if they make it too hard to fire people or if they squeeze their respective companies out of too much money. For union members pay, layoffs, etc. are often decided by seniority and not by ability or how hard you work. Whether or not that's worth it is up to you.
Osmose 3y ago
Unions sometimes charge union dues in order to fund the operations of the union (i.e. pay for negotiators, fund initiatives of a larger union if you joined one instead of forming an independent union, etc.). If you only consider your total compensation this is a potential downside, but the money has to come from _somewhere_ and often the union can win benefits that exceed the value of the dues being paid in. A more subtle "downside" is that unions represent the workers—including the workers you _don't_ like. That project manager who you hate is also a laborer with rights who deserves protection from the union, and at some point you will need to come to terms with cooperating with people you think have horrific political views or whatever. I use quotes because I don't think this is a real downside at all. Unions are not simply a cost-benefit option you choose because it helps you personally, they are the counterbalance to the implicit power employers have over their employees. Even if your benefits are great and you're paid very well, you should still have a union to represent you.