Ask HN: Why don't developers unionize?

99 points

9 years ago

I'm not talking about your Dad or Grandma's union of yesteryear but a new type of union focused on collective bargaining for issues that matter and taking decisive action.

Our new style of union would:

- Encourage corporations to take security and privacy seriously

- Advocate for those affected by automation

- Aide in the creation of standards

- Support free and open source software communities

- Strengthen the efforts of organizations like EFF, Archive.org, Tor, etc

- Advocate for a free and open internet

- Counterbalance corporate interests

Once upon a time, unions did a lot of good for working and middle class people and they failed ultimately in the end.

It seems we as developers have the power to create a new type of union. A new model that disrupts old ideas for collective bargaining and actually does some good in the world.

What will our legacy be? Some things in life are greater than code.

Why don't developers unionize?

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