[mal10c]

"I wish there were a lot of small/medium companies..." I hear this from a lot of different circles, and I'm not trying to target you, just more or less generically voicing my frustrations. If people wish there were more small/medium companies in the US, then by all means, go to your county courthouse and officially establish a business. You could found a sole proprietorship just to get started. I own a side business and I'm part of ownership at my main job. It's a lot of work, but worth it. If you feel you have a good idea and a good way to form and keep a customer base, then nobody is stopping you. That's one of the greatest aspects of living in the US. And since I'm on my rant now, I often times hear something along the lines that people need to form together to combat something they feel isn't fair in their place of work. While I sympathise with that, I also know for a fact that there aren't a lot of CEO's out there that are waking up asking themselves how they can screw over their employees - that just isn't how the world works. How it does work is often times when times get tough, more than not CEO's and other C-Suite managers will put their own assets on the line to ensure the company can make it through a rough patch. If the rough patch is looking more like the norm, then they may have to make really tough decisions to let some people go. That sucks for them because they're losing talent to (potentially) a competitor. Last thing: if people really don't like that company X doesn't give them some perk - whether that's forming a union or even giving away free popcorn, then start looking for a job that does that stuff!!! Don't expect your employer to just make those changes. Sorry for the rant, but I think it's important to share a view from a different perspective.