Slashdot Mirror
Should IT Unionize?
snydeq writes "Sixty-hour work weeks with no overtime or comp time, a BlackBerry hitched to your belt 24/7, mandates from managers who have no clue what you actually do — all for a job that could be outsourced tomorrow. 'Is it finally time for technology workers to form a union and demand better working conditions?' InfoWorld's Dan Tynan asks. To some, the odds against IT unions are long, in large part because the 'lone gunman' culture is pervasive. Diversity of skills and job objectives is another hurdle for rallying around common goals. But that has not dissuaded several union-minded groups from cropping up across the industry as of late, Tynan reports. In the end, the best bet for IT may be a professional organization modeled after the American Bar Association or the American Medical Association, one that could give IT professionals a single voice for speaking out on issues that affect everyone — such as H-1B visa limits or tax incentives to keep IT jobs onshore."
The only way this would work is if it was implemented like the way effing lawyers do it.
"No I will not fix your computer for free."
"It's $1000 a hour and the clock starts ticking now."
"No I will not give you free computer advice."
"Oh, and we need to get that retainer agreement signed before we proceed further."
Now if we could figure out a way to make the IT equivalent of ambulance chasers, we'd be on to something. "Did you or any member of your third-cousin twice removed family get the Britney Spears virus? Call the IT offices of James Suck-A-Glove. And we only speak english, dammit."
Trouble is that it's way too late for this. There are too many people willing to prostitute their geekdom for free.
You mean that I'd finally be able to afford a house there?
From the reactions, I would say that most people here are against unions. I say, let us all take a stand together against unions.
Unite against Unification!
We'll form the Anti-union Union!
All those that don't wish to be part of a Union are now part of the Anti-union Union. Union dues are payable to me.
Great civilizations have lived and died on false theories. Don't mess up mine with a few facts.
The last time i checked my team was working 14 hours a day.
Pfft. That's like, what, 27 minutes with the Exchange rate? 22 if you compare to Europe...
I'll work and get paid on my merit. If I don't like the work environment, I'll find a new position. There are plenty of opportunities if you have the skills.
Exactly. Unions mean that you get equal pay for unequal work. It's called Communism. Joe Bob thumb-up-his-ass makes the same as his most skilled and hardest working co-worker.
On the other hand, I could spend way more time on Slashdot while my co-workers picked up the slack for me.
I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.
As someone who talks a good game, knows the right people, and is utterly incompetent, I take offense. We *know* we'll screw up 90% of the things we touch, so that's why we convince socially inept geniuses eager to find a friend to touch things for us. Then we take credit when we meet with the 'right people' for drinks after work.
Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
I agree 100%. Unions inflate wages for those who are unqualified and deflate wages for those are overqualified. For example, if you are a very good carpenter, you should be able to demand more money, but you are union so you get the same as everyone else.
Another thing about building codes, I am a HVAC consulting engineer. I work around Chicago, which is the biggest union city (or New York, its close). The Chicago Building Code is written to protect union workers. It inflates the cost of construction not for the benefit of safety, but for the unions. No PVC waste piping in Chicago, you know why? It would take plumbers half the time to install.
I'm not not licking toads.