[ggariepy]

The purpose of a union is to create a labor cartel which tends to standardize the price of labor above the rate at which the market would likely set it. IP clauses and non-competes are a small part of the issues plaguing our industry. Putting constraints on the labor supply is probably not a good thing; it leads to the market for labor relocating to less union-friendly climes. Ask anyone from Detroit how well that worked out.

[turtledove]

Software engineering doesn't rely on factories, and less labor friendly areas produce worse products (ask Boeing about that.)

Apple and Google aren't going to just shut down in California because a union asked them to give some concessions that materially improve engineers lives.

[biorach]

> The purpose of a union is to create a labor cartel

No, that is not the "purpose of a union"

Some unions, especially in the USA, have functioned in such a way, but this is far from universal.

[Bancakes]

'Labor market' is a purely American concept. You shouldn't be switching jobs constantly and relocating. It takes a toll on personal life and makes no sense anyway.

[clawlor]

It's still a "market" so long as there are supply and demand, regardless of how frequently a given participant is conducting transactions in that market.

The housing market is probably a good example. Many participants probably only purchase property once or twice in their lives (less even if you consider the case of a married couple buying a house, that's 0.5 purchases per person).

[ggariepy]

I've worked for three different employers and have never left this spare bedroom. Relocate? Where? To my living room? :-)

[Workaccount2]

Unless you live in a communist country, you are part of a labor market.

[ggariepy]

I don't think there are any purely communist economies operating in the world today, and even if there are, there is still a market. It's a badly distorted market that performs poorly, but a market nonetheless. If you have human beings involved, there's a market; it goes with the territory as part of the human condition.

[turtledove]

Workers coops are neither labor market nor necessarily communists. If everyone democratically operates the company and shares equally in profits, there's no wage labor being performed.

[Bancakes]

Among many offers, I chose a company on absolutes, not relatives. The culture is good, and I want to make serious products that serve a purpose. I get paid less than my peers but enough for a living. Is that communistic?

[Workaccount2]

You are simply pricing in external variables to your compensation, which is part of how markets work.

[Bancakes]

I get what you're saying but I wouldn't program web apps for 3x the pay even. I don't "feel" the American way of switching jobs and being a general purpose programmer.