Is it not possible for employees to instead start a copycat of Kickstarter and treat employees fairly?
Why is it OK to shit in somebody else's house?
Kickstarter employees vote to unionize
71–80 of 1001 posts
Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize
#72Opinions aside, you have to see the writing is on the wall.
Which is? People crave Socialism?
Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize
#73Anyone else think the phrasing in the title is a bit weird? Were there other people voting in this election who were not Kickstarter employees? How can a group which makes up 100% of the electorate not "win" an election? The outcome reflects the majority opinion, by definition.
Only 46 employees voted for the union, 37 against.
Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize
#74Condolences
Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize
#75I don’t see this playing out well for Kickstarter in the long-term.
Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize
#76Opinions aside, you have to see the writing is on the wall.
However you feel about unions (and I personally have many reservations), if tech workers unionize, management will have nobody to blame but themselves. They've had decades to listen to us, and they've responded with open offices, JIRA (or the equivalent) ticket quotas, unpaid overtime, whiteboard coding interviews and zero training. We're well paid but besides that, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a way we could collectively be treated with any more contempt than we already are.
Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize
#77I really don't understand this. A career in software is one of the most pampered and lucrative ones I can think of. Due to the shortage of software engineers, we can go anywhere and get a job instantly. The only downside I can think of is ageism, but then again, I have colleagues in their 50s and 60s where I work. But I suppose this isn't universal. (I'm in Atlanta and we have a lot of older workers. Age doesn't seem…
Just look at their employee reviews. The management there seems toxic. I implore you to also think twice about the way in which you are demonizing unions. Sure, some unions aren’t the best, but what you’re saying is 100% discounting the benefits that a union can bring to employees. Union dues can more than pay for themselves in wage negotiation. They can restrict overwork, unpaid overtime (see the special salaried ov…
> The “go work somewhere else” solution isn’t an equitable or realistic solution for many employees. That often equates to “I can go work somewhere else that’s just as shitty.”
Bingo. I've worked at enough places to know that the greener grass myth is indeed a myth in the industry. That doesn't mean you can't get a better job, but there's always a very real risk that things will be worse at your new job.
Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize
#78Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize
#79How do unions operate in organizations where voluntary turnover is relatively high? A small % of people in tech stay at one company for more than a couple of years. I guess there's nothing about a union that stops you from voluntarily quitting for something else in that case, other than paying whatever fee you pay for the time you do stay?
Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize
#80I wonder if they’ll be able to do anything about outsourcing jobs?
If they gain some advantage by being in a union but practically lose out due to outsourcing, what good would it be?
Do they have any options to protect against that scenario?
I recall a few years ago one of unis in SF outsourced many of their IT ops overseas. That is a progressive city also ships off jobs.
Is there any way to attenuate that?