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> But the idea of a guild - now that has merit. Whereas a union
> is a "you're
> in or you're out" proposition, a guild has various levels of
> achievment, and
> could consequently provide for varying levels of compensation for it's
> workers. A properly-run guild can insure the quality of its
> members in a way
> that a union can't (or won't). Employers can choose to use
> guild members or
> not, but if all goes well, they should choose to do so, just
> to ensure the
> quality of the work.
Um... do your homework.
Guilds existed "at the pleasure of the King/Duke/local-bullyboy",
and had, as their primary purpose, restraint of trade.
Think of the status of the AMA in the USA, or the CMA in Canada.
(Medical Associations)
It's not just the Association/Guild that says you must belong,
in good standing, before you can practice. Nope, they have
long ago lobbied -- successfully -- to have their rules take
on the force of law. Try practicing medicine -- or anything
that even smells like it -- without the explicit, paid-for
sanction of the local Medical Association. Have a good lawyer
on retainer.
Think of it this way:
In a competitive landscape, you could have competing
certifying bodies that grant certificates of proficiency
or proven competence. Consumers get to decide which
body has a more credible history of consistency and high
standards (for ethics, workmanship, etc..... the stuff that's
important to a consumer. They would decide that by spending
more of their money to hire people who had the one company's
certificate, over the other. The less-favored company would
need to get either their certifying or their marketing act
together.
But, you won't see competing *licensing* bureaux. Government
always removes such choices, because bored and underpaid
bureau'rats always know best. It says so, right there in
the legislation, backed up by people with guns.
Which would you prefer to have pronouncing on your technical
writing ability and desirability/employability? Somebody
who is at least in the biz, and has a stake in doing credible
and up-to-date testing/certifying, or some clerk in a government
office somewhere?
/kevin
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