[mbgerring]

This is a good time to repeat that software engineers need a union. We needed this ten years ago, and we need it a lot more now.

[mrkeen]

What concrete interests would you like such a union to protect?

Should a strike happen if devs are told to use Claude, or should a strike happen if devs aren't given access to Claude?

[mbgerring]

Here are some easy ones:

- End H1B abuse and demand limits on offshoring

- Compensation transparency

- “Value capture,” as called out in the article. If new tools make engineers 10x more productive, that should be reflected in compensation

- End employment law workarounds like “unlimited PTO,” where your PTO is still limited in practice, but it’s not a defined or accruing benefit

- Protection against dilution of equity for employees

- A seat at the table for workers, not just managers, in the event of layoffs

- Professional ethics and whistleblower protections. Legally-protected strikes if workers decide to refuse on pursuing an ethically or legally dubious product or feature.

I could go on. There are a lot of abuses we put up with because of relatively high salaries, and it is now abundantly clear that the billionaire capital-owning class is dead set on devaluing the work we do to “reduce labor costs.” We can decide not to go along with that.

[bsaul]

As a european, yes please America, get a union. Get 2 even. You're going too fast, you're way too successful, we can't keep up.

So yes, please adopt our work ethic and legal framework. It's going to help us tremendously.

[missingdays]

Are there any software engineer\quality assurance\any other IT related unions in EU? How do I join one?