Tech workers are often part of unions over here (Belgium), the same as anyone else. Let me tell you that unions do not make for a panacea.
Among my working (not necessarily tech) peers, anti-union sentiment has been increasing. Likely because they've been inconvenienced by recent union actions (mostly public transport strikes). Individualism is a hell of a drug.
Being a freelancer, most unions see me as a traitor or a thief. So I have some mixed feelings about their current incarnations.
akoboldfrying · 4h ago
This guy genuinely doesn't seem to realise that two of his stated goals are in direct opposition: reducing global carbon emissions, and keeping his tech job. The most effective way for a union to achieve that first goal would be to forcibly shut the business down and disappear all the jobs that went with it, but something tells me that's not what he had in mind.
> Aren’t you worried you could get laid off and this junior compsci grad or an H1B takes your place for half your salary?
Yes, but frankly it's more important that they be allowed to compete with me on merit. Anything else is pure cronyism.
ETA: I'm actually sympathetic to the idea of unions. They're a power structure consisting of self-interested humans, no different in principle from the power structure of entrenched capital, but they're of value because they oppose capital, acting to prevent it from swallowing everything. But then I read an article like this, and am reminded of the type of person who tends to rise to the top of such organizations.
Among my working (not necessarily tech) peers, anti-union sentiment has been increasing. Likely because they've been inconvenienced by recent union actions (mostly public transport strikes). Individualism is a hell of a drug.
Being a freelancer, most unions see me as a traitor or a thief. So I have some mixed feelings about their current incarnations.
> Aren’t you worried you could get laid off and this junior compsci grad or an H1B takes your place for half your salary?
Yes, but frankly it's more important that they be allowed to compete with me on merit. Anything else is pure cronyism.
ETA: I'm actually sympathetic to the idea of unions. They're a power structure consisting of self-interested humans, no different in principle from the power structure of entrenched capital, but they're of value because they oppose capital, acting to prevent it from swallowing everything. But then I read an article like this, and am reminded of the type of person who tends to rise to the top of such organizations.