[trcarney]

>Unionizing or creating a standardized contract for software developers across the industry. I'm tired of companies breaking their own policies, eroding benefits, and having unrealistic expectations.

Why on earth would software developers unionize? There probably isn't a profession where the workers have more power. If you don't like the way a company is treating or compensating you, leave!

Standardized contracts would also not be positive. The problem with standardized anything is that is where things stay, they don't get better. Competition in the marketplace is how contracts will get better.

So if you are tired of companies breaking their own policies, eroding benefits, and having unrealistic expectations, leave when your company does those things. By staying, you are voting for those things to continue.

[mattbrewsbytes]

The vast majority of software developers don't have leverage over their employer. There are some in high demand tech hubs that do.

Some interesting things that could happen:

- We software developers create a hierarchy/training program much like trade workers (electrical for instance) where your title in the union is dependent on mentoring and peer reviews.

- Silly interview leet bullshit disappears. Union people interview and assess candidates/new union people. Titles are earned via a formal process.

- Specializations could emerge that have more stringent requirements to attain a title/modifier.

- A company wouldn't need recruiters, they would be part of the union. If unionized software devs work at company ABC, then the union rep would know the contract is being expanded and they need 10 more devs and at what levels.

- Union representatives would negotiate contracts for pay and benefits. They would be uniform across devs at that company, possibly that region.

- Union workers could go on strike if they determine they find the employer doing morally questionable business practices.

- A bunch of software nerds will make a lot of poor attempts at jokes and memes like they are union mobsters so it should be called a guild, it suits us better :)

[giantg2]

So you know of Filenet and Neoxam jobs I can get without relocating? Changing companies isn't so easy for everyone, especially with a family to support.

I agree that software devs have more power than other non-unionized workers. But we still get screwed on a industry level. How many times do you see someone get a 5% promotion with the expectation that they work 10-15% more hours. My buddy in construction has a union contract so he knows exactly what the expectations and duties are, not to mention he makes as much or more than I do with his overtime.

By standardized contract, I mean on a company by company basis. I'm tired of one pagers that say the company makes the rules and can change them anytime with or without notice. In case you were wondering why I took a FileNet or Neoxam job, it's because the company tricks new hires by advertising and hiring a person for a "Java Developer" position and then putting them into whatever tech they feel like.

[muzani]

> If you don't like the way a company is treating or compensating you, leave!

There's usually a lot of things that you don't like about your job but isn't worth leaving for. The interview gauntlet is also one thing software jobs do wrong. My wife is an engineer, and they have nowhere near our broken interview practices.

We're basically saying we don't trust certificates, job experience, education, so here's a week of interviews on things that have little to do with your work and we'll need another two weeks to decide.