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Back in 1981, I was in my first real-world employment
(having come out of two stabs at school, separated by
three years in the military in the '70s...), and I was
a production technician in a unionized shop.
To make a long story short, I got out of the union
and into a staff job as soon as I could possibly
manage it. I have managed to avoid being unionized
ever since.
People who are forced to join a union, just to get
work in their field.... have my sympathy.
People who willingly, even eagerly join a union...
well, let's just say that's one big strike against
you before I ever meet you.
Proviso: ALL of the above relates to unionism
as it is practiced in the existing political/legislative
climate. Without special legal powers and privileges,
unions are a fine idea for those who want/need them...
but most developed countries already have the broken
system solidly entrenched, so the point is moot.
/kevin
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Evan Martin [mailto:evan -dot- martin -at- garvin-allen -dot- com]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 3:36 PM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: Unionizing?
.> Someone wrote:
>
> "Until writers unionize and demand collective bargaining,
> until they abandon
> the comforting delusion that they are white-collar
> professionals instead of
> the hired help they're treated as, we will be fighting one
> another for jobs
> and respect, and calling it "market forces" until all
> documentation is just
> XML output from code. "
.
> ------------------------
.
> Unionizing? Now I'm ignorant when it comes to unions, but it
> sounds like a
> good way to drive the paid technical writer right out of a
> lot of companies.
> I know I'd be gone if I became part of a union that forced my
> employer to
> increase my salary.
> We have enough problems convincing employers of our worth
> without adding the
> word "Union" to the perception.
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