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Or just someone in a different phase of their career than a union typically helps out. Unions absolutely hold back young high performers from advancing rapidly
by phil21 1y ago
Or just someone in a different phase of their career than a union typically helps out.
Unions absolutely hold back young high performers from advancing rapidly and standing out from the crowd. I was part of a few in my younger years and quickly learned they were a detriment to my earnings due to them favoring seniority and status quo over everything else.
Once you hit a certain level and stop advancing quickly the equation tends to change, and you want to be the one protected from the young whipper snappers willing to outwork you.
It’s a selfish way of thinking perhaps, but jumping from union shops to non-union tripled my wages in the time I’d have made about 40% more the first few years of entering the workforce.
Not all unions need to be structured this way - but they tend to devolve into organizations whose primary focus is protecting the old guard over everything else.
At this point of my life a union would probably be a net win for me, but only because I’d be able to enter a job at a fairly high seniority/pay level. Then vote contracts that give my cohort more benefits than those starting out.
From a game theory standpoint a union would be for the greater good at the expense of the few. If you are part of the few at any given moment of time you’d be going against your interests joining a union shop.
I’ve always thought a “guild” structure would make far more sense in the tech world.
- dontlaugh 1y agoThen don’t join. Actively trying to stop others from joining is not the same thing. And fwiw, I’ve been in two unions that were nothing like you described. I got better conditions and in one case pay because of union organising.
- CamperBob2 1y agoAs has been pointed out many times, apparently fruitlessly, the unions have lobbied hard to ensure that you don't always have a choice in the matter.
- dontlaugh 1y agoEven in the US, you are not forced to join a union. You might have a union negotiate minimum pay and conditions on your behalf, but that doesn’t stop you from negotiation beyond that individually.
- CamperBob2 1y agoThat is simply not the case. Google "Right to work" and "Union shop." At a minimum you're required to pay dues to the union. Forcing workers to either join or pay tribute to a middleman isn't OK.
- dontlaugh 1y agoIt seems entirely reasonable to pay dues for a benefit you receive. I don’t see why that’s such a big deal. You still don’t need to be involved in organising. It’s entirely ok for the majority of workers to democratically decide that they shouldn’t have to fight for benefits that others get for free. Unions aren’t middlemen, they’re just the majority of workers in a workplace organising themselves.
- cafard 1y agoI would offer the major sports unions and SAG-AFTRA as counter-examples.