Brainstorm HN: Unions are dying - can technology help?

[fapi1974]

It seems to me that the massive economic and social dislocations brought on by technology are mainly hurting the middle classes of the world. In one industry after another, the fact that companies can recruit workers in other countries to do a given job for less has completely taken away the bargaining power of workers - the result is massive income growth among the rich and stagnation or decline for the rest of us.

It seems to me that technology could be used to even up the score. What I have in mind is some kind of unionization platform, in which workers from any industry can organize and bargain collectively.

I think initially the platform would have to focus on a very skilled group of workers whose wages are roughly comparable worldwide. I'm thinking VFX artists or computer programmers.

The idea would be that when you register your dues are collected automatically. In order to prevent picket line crossing, it might even make sense to have your paycheck paid via the union itself. All accounting would have to be fully transparent, of course - but I think that would be one of the advantages of doing it all online.

I'd love to hear from people on this - it's come up several times for me and I'm wondering if there's a there there.

[damm]

Unions were (and are) a reaction to how some employers can treat employee's unfairly.

Now it could be said the end result of an union is worse than the bad employer.

Also, why would most workers want to be taxed (additionally on top of their state, and federal income tax) to have someone protect them?

[fapi1974 → damm]

I don't follow the logic in your statements. How is the end result of a union worse than a bad employer? The empirical evidence around unions is pretty clear - they result in better conditions, higher pay, etc etc. Fundamentally they reallocate the proceeds from the firm away from shareholders and management to the workers - which is something that drastically needs doing.

[mdomans → fapi1974]

There is no empirical evidence of any benefit of unions. Ultimately everywhere where unions grew strong, problems occured and companies failed. There's no single succesful company that has strong unions.

And do please stop talking about reallocating proceeds from management and shareholders. You probably read too much Marx. Go read how that worked out for the WarPac countries, or better yet, read "Animal Farm".

Those people get more because their work is either worth more to the company or they risk more.

You want to earn more? Stop being a crybaby and do something that has more value to people around you.