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> I don't think that's the case. I think it's more a matter of there being
> so many training opportunities outside the guild/labor movement, such as
> tech writing programs at colleges and adult ed programs, and extremely
> limiting labor laws. The US labor laws are the most conservative in the
> developed world. I was shocked to learn that even S Africa under
> apartheid had more liberal labor laws than the US, for instance, and in
> some Scandinavian countries, whole industries are unionized by law. The
> strength of the unions in other countries is one of the major reasons we
> work longer weeks, have worse benefits and more expensive health care,
> if we have health care at all, and so forth.
It is also impossible to start and run a small business in those countries. The
governments make it virtually impossible for any kind of entrepreneur to exist.
Hence, there is limited speculation and capital available. This is why the
United States leads the world, many times over in research, development, and
ingenuity. The US has strong, vibrant capital markets because speculation and
risk are allowed.
Its also why the US has the world's most powerful economy, the most wealth, and
the most productive economy. Our labor laws reward hard work, entrepreneurship,
and merit not mediocrity, uniformity, and bureaucracy.
Unions have a place, but not in technology. The technology industries are too
dynamic and require too much ingenuity to remain competitive. There is no room
for the mediocrity and uniformity that unions bring.
And unions are often outright hostile to change and modernization - which are
fundamental components of a thriving technology industry. The whole port-lock
out that just happened on the west coast was because the unions refused to
modernize. They want 5 people doing a job that one computer could do quicker,
better, and more accurately.
Sure, you have a right to unionize. The truth is, there is a lot more money to
be made by aggressively and intelligently marketing yourself on the open
market. The rewards of the open market are far greater than the rewards of any
union.
Andrew Plato
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