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by CaffeineLD50
446 days ago
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You are correct down to the last point. That's not what this poll is about. Would you do it doesn't need to think about all the possible ways it can fail. Would you drive a car can be analyzed as a self financing life threatening suicidal act . Most of us choose to drive for the benefit (s) anyway |
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In a unionization attempt for a single department or company, I might have an idea of how likely it is my coworkers would support this union, and thereby be able to weigh the likely benefits vs the risks if it were to fail.
In something like SAG-AFTRA, union actors are the default, and the union has agreements that encompass many companies. Joining that union is a no-brainer since it's pretty much all gain and no risk. It'd be weird not to join.
In an industry like video games, though, I don't think cross-company unions are common, and they tend to be limited to specific departments of specific companies. If I were in such a department, sure, I'd join.
But tech-wide? Nothing like that exists. If you tried to start one, you'd have to convince one or more major tech companies to sign on (and they won't), and there would still be millions of ununionized devs. Thus, becoming a member of that union would get you no benefits but mark you as less hirable. You would then, as an individual, bear all the stigma of being unionized without any of the benefits that usually come with it. Why would anyone do that, especially early on? It becomes a chicken-and-egg problem.
So I DO think that's what this poll is about... unless this hypothetical union has a pathway to power and some clear plan about how it's going to sign up enough members and companies together at the negotiation table, it is not really any different than signing a petition. Probably worse, in that a petition rarely has major risk, where as a failed unionization effort could (legally or not) cost you a job or promotion, etc.