Yeah actually a union can help with all of those things.
That's why police are unionized, as well as most team sport elite athletes (players unions). And they like the power it gives them, which is why you never hear them talk badly about it.
While I personally think Police are necessary in a well functioning society, I will argue that Police unions are a large contributing factor behind the poor reputation Police have gotten lately. They have blocked much needed reforms, protected bad eggs, and are an argument for how a Union can force it's participants to support things they find morally repugnant.
You don't think unions negotiate work terms such as wages, working hours, conditions, etc.?
What are some of the reasons you think a labor union would form in the first place?
Have you ever heard of mandatory break requirements in certain industries? Think those ideas came from business owners?
"The National Labor Union was founded on August 20, 1866, in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first attempt to create a national labor group in the United States and one of their first actions was the first national call for Congress to mandate an 8-hour work day."
In my experience, democratic organizations are complete garbage. Every experience I've had with local government/HOAs has been a disappointing at best.
I get that some democratic organizations are necessary. But adding more voluntarily seems to be at best a necessary evil, not something to list as a positive.
> Every experience I've had with local government/HOAs has been a disappointing at best.
As far as I'm aware, most HOAs were imposed from above by the home builder rather than coming into existence via grassroots organization of the home owners.
You don't have to join but you usually still have to pay the dues. So you both have no vote on how that money get's spent but are also forced to give it to them anyway.
But you can't form a union if they vote against it, which is why you are here arguing with people. So we here we have clear proof that even if you spend years arguing it doesn't necessarily lead to the democratic results you want. Individual bargaining however seems to work very well, lots of people get what they want that way much faster and easier than any democratic process. And that is why people vote to not have unions.
The moment developers have a cause they can agree on, they will start to vote for unions. And no it isn't too late at that point, rather it is too early to vote for a union unless you have a cause you collectively care about.
> even if you spend years arguing it doesn't necessarily lead to the democratic results you want
Yes, this is how democracy works in general. You don't get everything (or necessarily anything) you want
Personally the only thing that would really make me quit is if they tried to make me go hybrid or back to the office in any way. My workplace is small (10 engineers) and so unionizing based on that could be pretty easy, but it would be easier for me to quit and find a new job that does do remote
That law has a loophole: Force the worker to pay the union even if they don't join it. So unless you live in a right to work state that law doesn't mean much.
- Do unions enforce remote work?
- Do unions enforce an offer letter to turn into actual employment for someone who isn't even a member yet (they haven't signed anything)?
- Do unions make people have a better handle on their mental health and do companies with unions have lower rates of burnout in their workforces?