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Glitch employees vote to form union, joining CWA

cwa-union.org

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Re: Glitch employees vote to form union, joining CWA

#61

Post by einpoklum »

baybal2 wrote: post #50
lbotos wrote: post #5

Here is a question: Why don't we have more smaller unions in America, but instead these GIANT mega unions? I get collective bargaining is better with more numbers, but it feels like there is no way to have a "new" union exist?

Bigger union == bigger bargaining power Other countries have much less liquid labour markets, or have bargaining powers of unions backed by governments, so they don't have to grow so much to make a difference.

While this is true in principle, in practice that is often not the case:

* The more removed bargainers are from the rank-and-file, the less understanding and emotional motivation they have about many of the issues the workers face.

* Larger unions are easier to corrupt and influence - at least if they have a centralized, hierarchical structure (which US unions mostly do). And that is true even if this structure is democratic (i.e. central governing bodies are elected).

* Larger unions are more difficult to reform and recuperate from past organizational failings than small ones.

* The capitalists and the state absolutely _detest_ more radical / tougher unions. So do the more collaborationist unions. While they might tolerate smaller ones - larger ones threaten the stability of the entire system, and will thus be met with harsh, violent suppression, and "member-stealing" / "workplace-stealing" campaigns much sooner.

Case in point: Industrial Workers of the World in the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Workers_of_the_Worl...

Re: Glitch employees vote to form union, joining CWA

#62

Post by dantheman »

danharaj wrote: post #45
Apocryphon wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of the endorsement antics during the Democratic primaries exposes that, but I'm making a less partisan point: our healthcare system simultaneously includes incomplete or bad private insurance plans, yet U.S. spends a larger amount per citizen for health care than most other developed nations. It's an unholy mess of inefficient bureaucracy and failed private-public relations, rent-seeking, crony capitalism, unhel…

> that pleases nobody Somebody is making a lot of money this way. They donate to both parties.

That's not how corruption works in general - a lot of people make a little more, but are deprived in other ways.

The system is fundamentally flawed - the problem is that these interventions were never thought through or even authorized. In the past, amendments had to be passed for the government to do new things; now it can do anything since everything is related to interstate commerce.

Re: Glitch employees vote to form union, joining CWA

#63

Post by sevenf0ur »

kyoob wrote: post #13
whoisjuan wrote: post #10

Ignorant question. But how do union dues work? Is it a percentage of your paycheck or a fixes cost? Also I assume there’s a formation/founding cost. How does that work?

It's usually a percentage of workers' paychecks, between 1-2% is pretty standard. Founding, organizing, and legal stuff for newly forming unions can be handled by the larger organization (e.g. CWA) using pooled dues from existing unions within that organization.

Losing that much per paycheck with nothing guaranteed in return would chaff me after awhile. I hope it works out for them.

Re: Glitch employees vote to form union, joining CWA

#64

Post by einpoklum »

whoisjuan wrote: post #10

Ignorant question. But how do union dues work? Is it a percentage of your paycheck or a fixes cost? Also I assume there’s a formation/founding cost. How does that work?

1. If the union is complacent and is willing to put its financial situation in the hands of the employer, to be used as leverage against any struggle - then the union and the employer arrange for a fraction of each employee's salary to be deducted by the employer and passed to the union.

That, at least in the US, is the common case. It is also extremely tempting - and I say this as a past union activist - to go for this option.

2. If, however, the union values its independence from the employer, then union dues are collected either:

2.1 By hand from time to time (much harder, but you get independence from the banking system), or

2.2 Each member signs a standing transfer order, transferring a certain amount of money from their account to the union every month/quarter/year. It's still a challenge to collect anything from non-members, despite them enjoying everything the unionized workers have achieved.

Re: Glitch employees vote to form union, joining CWA

#65

Post by m0zg »

Apocryphon wrote: post #4

My highlights: > 90% of the workers indicated their support for joining CWA and authorized CWA to be their bargaining representative > about half of whom work in the New York City headquarters and half of whom work remotely throughout the country > Employees at major American tech and game companies have grown increasingly active and outspoken about workplace issues, including sexual assault and harassment, ageism, u…

Game studios especially need this. I'm a conservative in most other labor-related things (liberal on social issues), but holy shit the devs are abused by the game studios.

Re: Glitch employees vote to form union, joining CWA

#66

Post by dantheman »

fiter wrote: post #60
claudeganon wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s why you have wildcat and general strikes. Courts rubber stamp union busting? Good luck getting your trash picked up or your grocery store stocked. Europeans figured this out a long time ago.

I would argue you still need popular support as people might find that behavior abusive. I know I'd be willing to organize dump runs in the event my trash was not being picked up for a reason I didn't agree with.

Yeah it only works when the have a monopoly on public infrastructure that they didn't pay for and get to hold the general public hostage for its use.

Re: Glitch employees vote to form union, joining CWA

#67

Post by einpoklum »

sevenf0ur wrote: post #63
kyoob wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's usually a percentage of workers' paychecks, between 1-2% is pretty standard. Founding, organizing, and legal stuff for newly forming unions can be handled by the larger organization (e.g. CWA) using pooled dues from existing unions within that organization.

Losing that much per paycheck with nothing guaranteed in return would chaff me after awhile. I hope it works out for them.

If your union is actually _your union_, i.e. yourself and your co-workers, organizing together to do something - then you're not paying to get a "return". You're participating in your own collective effort. Pecuniary union achievements are an added bonus (though a frequent one).

Unfortunately, with larger unions, or those with weaker consciousness and mis-perceptions of what a union is supposed to be - there's alienation between the member worker on one hand and the union and its operatives on the other, and then dues payment seems to be something transactional: "What will you get me in exchange for what I pay you?"

Re: Glitch employees vote to form union, joining CWA

#68

Post by ryanmarsh »

Do unions (specifically this union) promote and standardize levels of craftsmanship or is that still an unsolved problem?

I kinda wish proper guilds would become a thing in tech. I feel they could solve both the craftsmanship and workers rights problems but oh well...

Re: Glitch employees vote to form union, joining CWA

#70

Post by toomuchtodo »

ceejayoz wrote: post #31
toomuchtodo wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like a non-profit startup problem to build out tooling to rapidly form, run, and govern unions.

I don't know how you'd replace decades worth of strike warchest funding and long-term relationships with legislators.

How all progress occurs: with effort.
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