Ask HN: The government of my country blocked VPN access. What should I use?

I don't think the workers are the problem. It's "design by committee." The workers just do what they're told as the managers micromanage every aspect of the game to milk the most profit out if it. It's the same phenomena responsible for today's milquetoast Hollywood blockbusters.

mouse_ · 8h ago

It will, for what it's worth. Unions do better, more sustainable work, and help everybody.

SilverElfin · 8h ago

Having seen what unions have done in many places, particularly public sector unions like for teachers, I disagree. The problems of union culture are also obvious to anyone who has had to work in a big union shop (like at a very large company) or do contract work for them. The protectionism leads to irrational inefficiency and blockades of random rules that make no sense. And these days, unions are involved in all sorts of political issues that are irrelevant to the workplace, which is not appropriate.

I’m not saying unions are universally bad. But I am saying that American union culture’s track record is debatable at best. I have heard though that unions in Europe tend to be a lot more constructive and effective.

sfpotter · 7h ago

Here in Seattle, public school teachers would not have even the most basic cost of living adjustments without the union. And they have to bargain strenuously to get even the meager COLA they are able to get. If the unions were dissolved the schools would be a significantly worse state than they are now, which is saying something.

SilverElfin · 6h ago

From what I found in a quick search, it seems like Seattle public school teachers effectively get more than a 5% raise each year when you average it. That’s a lot higher than the typical worker’s situation, so it doesn’t seem like they’re getting something meager. Articles also seemed to imply that these raises they demanded would make the city’s budget not work.

Regardless - how do you feel about what you’re getting in return? What’s your opinion on the quality of Seattle teachers and the schools there overall?

sfpotter · 3h ago

In Seattle, 5% is meager considering what tech workers here make. If you work as a teacher in the city of Seattle, you're likely looking at ~$100K/year, after at least a few years of experience, and assuming you have a masters degree with the requisite endorsements. So, lots of debt on top of that. Note that there are many other support staff in the schools who make significantly less but who do jobs which are no less important. If your spouse makes a similar amount, the likelihood you can own your own home unless you're phenomenally frugal and careful with your money is low. I have multiple friends who are city of Seattle teachers and they've been priced out of the city, by and large.

My opinion is that the teachers should be paid more and people in the city should be taxed far higher than they are. I attended Seattle public schools K-12 myself, and the older I get (now in my late 30's with a kid of my own), virtually all problems they face can be addressed by better compensation. All the teachers I know are kind, well-meaning people who do their best despite facing an adverse situation. Teaching has gotten significantly more difficult since COVID. In Seattle in particular, high income families have tended to pull their kids out of public schools and put them in private schools, where paying upwards of $50-60K/year isn't uncommon. Because of the ways public schools are funded in the state, this essentially operates as a zero sum game.

toomuchtodo · 5h ago

Your average worker is getting raked over the coals, so those doing well should not be compared to them because the organized have better pay and benefits. No union, no power to improve your pay, working conditions, and labor protections.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/labor-unions...

https://www.epi.org/publication/eroded-collective-bargaining...

https://www.epi.org/publication/charting-wage-stagnation/

nunez · 4h ago

Facts. See the pay scales for any public teaching position in the South. Garbage.

crawsome · 4h ago

Those are just the anecdotal bad things unions are known for in political smear campaigns.

Blockade from what? Flip the script and they're protecting their own. Someone joined a group that protected them. Seems like a good deal to an individual contributor.

But then you got cop unions, who move abusers around and shield people from consequences. But they're different because they're state power with the power to ruin lives at him. So of course they get bad raps.

Not all systems are perfect, not all unions are the same, but the philosophy of them in-general, unions are decidedly better than without for those who benefit from them. That includes the general public who knows their traffic light wasn't put up by a corner-cutting SC who doesn't care what happens to it in 3 months.

vdupras · 7h ago

If I try to sum up all the irrational rules I've seen in my professional life, sure, I've seen some coming from unions, but my general impression is that most of the "wtf" I've seen come from management, or, in the case of the public sector, the political elite. "most" is probably an understatement.

toomuchtodo · 10h ago

Congrats to these developers!

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