141–150 of 411 posts
A union is a business association among people who market, sell, and deliver the labor of a single individual. To repress these associations of business results in inefficiencies that obscure the true product of the market.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Altruistic expectations, no. But I seem to recall a time (up until perhaps 15 years ago) when Google would not have been expected to engage in such blatantly Machiavellian tactics as placing fake op-eds. Nowadays though, I don't put anything past Google.
Unions reduce profits by giving employees a voice to protect themselves, demand the compensation they deserve, etc. It's therefore inevitable that corporations (Google, FAANG, or any others) will try to preempt or destroy them. It is their duty to shareholders.
I don't believe it's only Google, and I don't think it's particularly secret.
The New York Times has had an anti-tech vendetta for a while now. Most likely, in my cynical worldview, because tech has hurt their subscription numbers immensely, not because they want to do the world a service. An example of this is when they published a whole story about a guy who became radicalized from YouTube... and then became unradicalized a few months later without doing anything radical. But someone could h…
I believe the news should have a vendetta against anyone and anything that has outsized influence and control in society.
I don't think the NYT has the domain experience or insight to present the most damning critiques of big tech. I think that even when they get a chance, they'll prefer hot button topics over than the meatier but less sexy lines of criticism. I often think their motivations for articles are suspect.
However, even with all that said, media orgs like theirs are still the closest thing we have to a check on the control soulless monsters of industry have over our lives.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Were those expectations based on real observations, or did Google just get lucky with PR from the jump?
A real Googler can perhaps comment better than I. But in my hazy recollection, there did seem to be a time, long before the Andy Rubin payout, when the "Don't be evil" slogan was not quite the perverse caricature that it has become today.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I do wonder how much of HN culture is affected by very smart people (in one domain) being subconsciously led to believe things by the machinations of tech. As smart people, they take very passionate positions on issues they believe strongly. Perhaps they wouldn't have believed them so strongly in a vacuum though?
You nailed something that I've noticed. Highly competent and intelligent people tend to lean libertarian in my experience. It's only when they get cancer, or finally meet some form of humility that they see the inherent advantages they had over others for what it is. Simply a roll of the dice. Competent, capable, hardworking people often fail to see the bigger picture, and dismiss others that aren't like them. If you…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unions reduce profits by giving employees a voice to protect themselves, demand the compensation they deserve, etc. It's therefore inevitable that corporations (Google, FAANG, or any others) will try to preempt or destroy them. It is their duty to shareholders.
It's a common trope to say it's their duty to shareholders, but it's not. Their duty is to be diligent and transparent to their shareholders, but not to pursue short-term profits at any and all costs no matter what. Specifically, there is no legal requirement or duty for companies to be anti-union.
Seems to have worked amazingly well based on all the times I recall reading the comments of stories posted here involving unions.
Some of us have seen the exorbitant damage bad unions can cause, for example ILWU destroying Portland, OR’s container shipping industry in a bid to steal two jobs from another union. https://www.universalcargo.com/jury-hits-ilwu-with-93m-verdi... (less industry-oriented source: https://www.wweek.com/news/2019/11/29/longshore-union-faces-... ) See also: public sector unions.
I will no longer work for places where unions negotiate. I prefer the clear incentives of an employer over the unclear incentives of union negotiators. You never know when they're honestly standing side-by-side with you or when they're just there to pick your pockets.