Re: You can't go home again

[SIANNON -at- VISUS -dot- JNJ -dot- com]

I'll start by admitting I have actively avoided this thread, not having 
either experience or opinion on the subject of unions at this time.  
However, reading Nancy Mignone's post while simultaneously thinking about a 
costume I'm working on for a historical re-enactment group (hey, I was born 
in the'70s, I have an 8-track mind) set me to pondering something:

What are the differences between a union and a guild?  What I have seen 
suggests they are along the same continuum (sort of as XML is within the 
continuum of SGML, to throw in an analogy to another thread I've only 
skimmed), with a union having a potential subset of the features found in a 
guild (which would probably manifest in modern contexts as an organization 
like the AMA).  Most of the objections I saw before I stopped reading the 
thread seemed to come from either the "why bother, what would it do for 
me?" argument, or the "why be confrontational and get yourself marked as a 
force of opposition within your company?" argument. Yet, many guild-like 
bodies (trade associations) nowadays provide some negotiation pressure 
advantages along with their "expand your skill base" offerings.  Heck, 
using the STC's salary survey to support your request for a raise does 
that.[1]  They don't seem to draw quite the same response.

So, I guess my question is what is the breakoff point in people's minds? Is 
my inclusion of the two organizational bodies in the same continuum in 
error (possible -- as I said, I have no experience on this topic)?  Is the 
consideration of unionization fueled by needs that might be better met by a 
guild-like organization (e.g., trade association)?

Genuinely curious,
Shauna

[1] esp. since it is statistically biased to the high end, given that the 
only people surveyed are STC members, who would almost by definition be 
more likely to be well-established, better paid examples within the 
field--Jo Newbie just breaking into the field is unlikely to fork over a 
3-digit membership fee until she has a feeling she's going to stick with it 
as a career.  Not that this prevented me from using it to demonstrate the 
"entertainment" an ex-employer was likely to discover trying to find 
someone to replace me on a certain project I was responsible for that was 
*way* outside my job description of the time...I've heard that it has 
recently gone to a business analyst who makes well over 10 grand more 
annually than I used to make working on the same project.  :)  You warn 
them, try to prepare them, but do they listen? No-o-o...  ...I tell you, 
*some* people's kids...   ;)

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