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Chiming in a bit late, but I don't really think we techwhirlers are the sort
of folks who typically fit the union profile. All our complaints
notwithstanding, very few of us are sweatshop slaves working under
conditions of Dickensian misery. On the contrary: most of us are paid very
well by first-world standards. Neither are we routinely and systematically
abused by our managers and colleagues, which is another situation that
really does call for unionizing.
I think the real issue here is one of respect, and unionizing doesn't get
you that respect. Quite the contrary, in my experience; you get fear and
resentment if you use the union successfully, and mockery when you don't.
(I'm speaking based on 5 years working with blue-collar warehouse workers
followed by 7 years with a white-collar union for the federal government,
not to mention many years dealing with student unions.) Respect is something
you must earn, not something you can demand.
Should we unionize? Sure, if we want to drive all the work to low-paid local
labor who don't know what they're doing, or if we want to send the work
overseas to workers in countries with lower costs of living. Those who most
want to unionize are those with the least power, and frankly speaking, if
you've got that little power now, you probably don't have the power to
successfully unionize.
My advice: Spend the time required to earn the respect of your managers and
colleagues in the development group. If you can do that, you don't need a
union. If you can't, a union isn't going to help, and will definitely hurt.
Change a few words here and there in this response and you'll also get my
opinion regarding credentialism and certification.
--Geoff Hart, geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada
580 boul. St-Jean
Pointe-Claire, Que., H9R 3J9 Canada
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