[markonthewall]

Most professions you are referring to are unionized and defend their interests as a group, if you wait for C-execs to increase salaries of its information workers you might wait a long... long time. They have a board of shareholders to respond to and that is just not in their interest.

I am actually quite surprised at the devotion of some people here for their masters. It does provide a beautiful illustration of La Boetie's speech on "Voluntary servitude".

I mean, c'mon, this isn't the McCarthy era anymore... people should not get thrown off because you pronounce the word unions. Ordoliberalism like applied in Germany where I worked a couple years provides a quite elegant framework to allow a local form of union so the workers' right can be defended while not impending innovation and regular market dynamics.

[morgante]

> Most professions you are referring to are unionized and defend their interests as a group

Where on earth did you get that assumption?

Most marketers, lawyers, HR people, or managers are not unionized.

Unions work well for commodity labor, not professionals with a huge variation in pay and value.

[wildmusings]

>if you wait for C-execs to increase salaries of its information workers you might wait a long... long time.

Actually, you wouldn't wait very long at all, since pay for software engineers is at all-time highs. If you're good (and even if you're not), you can come out of college into a six-figure job in the valley.

I know people who work at Boeing and have to follow union rules. I want no part of that racket. Keeping track of every single minute worked is mandatory and working extra time beyond the allowed maximum can get you fired. It becomes a way for the mediocre and complacent to pull the excellent and ambitious down to their level. The union has repeatedly shot themselves in the foot by forcing outrageous demands on Boeing. Guess what the company is doing in response? Moving more and more operations to South Carolina and China.

There's no place for unions in software, a field of highly-paid knowledge workers that have recruiters emailing them weekly.

>Ordoliberalism like applied in Germany where I worked a couple years provides a quite elegant framework to allow a local form of union so the workers' right can be defended while not impending innovation and regular market dynamics.

The United States is wealthier, more dynamic, and has a lower cost of living than Germany. Why exactly should we copy their model?

[walshemj]

yep the ragged trousered philanthropists lives on.