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No, of course not. We're in the single best market for developer talent that has ever been, where a guy who is provably good at what he does can negotiate rate

No, of course not. We're in the single best market for developer talent that has ever been, where a guy who is provably good at what he does can negotiate rates at double, triple, even 10X the going rate for a senior developer. In that light, what sane person would voluntarily pin himself to a Union-esque system where he is paid on a scale determined by seniority? Ask a simple question, get a simple answer: The bottom 50%. If you're provably bad at what you do, or are unable or unwilling to negotiate your way away from the middle/bottom of the pack then yes, maybe, a union might make sense. But leave the rest of us out of it. It's just too good here. The last thing we want is some fool to come by and ruin it.

seanccox 12y ago
That's not the only model for unionizing. I don't live in the US or work in tech, but from where I sit, the industry (in the US) appears to be advocating for the relaxation of visa restrictions to import cheaper talent. That seems like it would eventually erode salaries/conditions (if it hasn't already). The market for tech employees looks great, to my untrained eyes, but I hear a lot of grumbling from my dev friends in the states that the salaries they are being offered are quite low. I'm not certain how to reconcile those data points. I wonder whether it would be wise for devs to consider unionizing now. It certainly makes more sense to play that card when the industry has limited power over the labor force. If power shifts in favor of industry, it will probably be too late to do anything about it.
TheCoelacanth 12y ago
Hollywood actors and NFL players have essentially 100% union participation. That hasn't prevented the top performers from negotiating exceptionally high pay. There is no reason to expect a union of software developers to rigidly follow the example of blue collar unions.

seanccox 12y ago

That's not the only model for unionizing. I don't live in the US or work in tech, but from where I sit, the industry (in the US) appears to be advocating for the relaxation of visa restrictions to import cheaper talent. That seems like it would eventually erode salaries/conditions (if it hasn't already). The market for tech employees looks great, to my untrained eyes, but I hear a lot of grumbling from my dev friends in the states that the salaries they are being offered are quite low. I'm not certain how to reconcile those data points. I wonder whether it would be wise for devs to consider unionizing now. It certainly makes more sense to play that card when the industry has limited power over the labor force. If power shifts in favor of industry, it will probably be too late to do anything about it.

TheCoelacanth 12y ago

Hollywood actors and NFL players have essentially 100% union participation. That hasn't prevented the top performers from negotiating exceptionally high pay. There is no reason to expect a union of software developers to rigidly follow the example of blue collar unions.