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Are you aware of any software developer unions? I’ve never encountered any in my 9 year career so far


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Are there unions for software devs?

I wasn't aware of any unions with software engineers. Are you?

Mind if I ask where you’re from? Even in highly unionized Scandinavia I’ve never seen software devs (specifically) join unions to any larger extent, let alone negotiate salary through them.

Unions for software engineers... Interesting

You're thinking of a union. There should be a software developers' union.

Exactly the reason why there aren't any Software Developer Unions these days.

You don't seem to understand how unions work. They insert extra layers of management in between the workers (developers) and the management. They create a go-between where all negotiations must be done with the union rather than managers interacting directly with developers. This slows down development and would actively make the lives of developers worse by having to deal with a bunch of things they don't want to rather than just being able to live life in peace and code.

As a software engineer/developer if I ever see coworkers trying to unionize I promise to try to work against them and prevent any such activities from continuing. It'd ruin the company I work at and would force me to have to leave for a new job.


Hoping to avoid wading into the specifics of this issue, but have you considered that unions are unpopular among software engineers? I am the most pro-union person I know personally, and I am not pro-union.

Software developers unionizing is one of the worst ideas in history. The best software developers are highly motivated and competitive. Unionization tends to minimize exceptional performance and certainly disincentivizes. Generally, I would argue that software developers who are in favor of unionization are not the strongest performers. In my 35+ years of management, I’ve never met a really strong developer that wanted to be part of a union. And I’ve worked for several very large companies. If “modern” software developers have succumbed to collective thinking, I’m glad to be retired. The world doesn’t need another post office.

Are you a Software Engineer in the United States? I've never heard of unionized programmers (at least within the Bay Area, which I shouldn't presume you're in.)

There is at least one union for software developers: http://www.iww.org/no/unions/dept500/iu560

IWW can be a bit extreme for my tastes, but it's the only one I've found.


Damn dude, you guys should really unionize.

I know it's got a particularly bad reputation in SV but software developers are long overdue a strong union.


This is actually a really good datapoint.

UK: Has software union. Developer salary in London =~ $65k

US: No software union. Developer salary in SF =~ $200k

I'll be sure to pull this out next time I'm trying to explain to somebody why unions are such a terrible idea for software developers.


Software developers dislike unions.

A decade or two into their career, they get replaced by a kid out of school or have to train their H1B replacement.

Wouldn't happen in a union shop.


Do you have any sources that support that from the countries that have unions for software development. Because that is something I would be very interested in reading.

Yes - despite the bleating about unions from people who I can only assume have never had to fight exploitation and unfair practices, unions are one of the only ways that you as an employee can adequately defend yourself from bad employers AND bad employees.

Yes, software developers are generally paid well and if you can earn the respect of your peers, you're usually treated pretty well too. However, the industry is rife with horror stories about sexism, over-working, burnout, family disruption, harassment and abuse - not to mention the ridiculous burdens placed on developers who are also expected to be on call 24/7, manage the company's IT infrastructure, and generally do whatever the hell their superior demands at a moment's notice.

For a privileged segment of the industry, there is no problem - but that is by no means representative of the whole. Software mills churn out shitty software and treat their employees with the same respect they give to quality and professionalism.

Being part of a union gives you the numbers required to do meaningful damage to a company which doesn't treat you right. As always, a balance must be struck between the strength of the employer and the strength of the union(s), but for many in this industry, it's currently a losing battle. More and more demands every year, but fuck you if you want to be treated better.

Don't delude yourselves into thinking that being part of a union is only about money. If you ever have to work ridiculous hours, not see your kids or your partner, suffer from lack of sleep, do things outside of your job spec, and generally just feel like you're being taken advantage of, then the reason for this is that YOU ARE INTERCHANGEABLE. You're not a special little snowflake just because you're pretty darn up to date with the latest technical shizzle-wizzle you read about on HN. You may be technically very proficient, but then so are a lot of your peers, and there's no shortage of developers out there.

This may be a highly skilled industry, but it's also one with a very low barrier to entry and a shit-load of people producing OK work at a fraction of the cost of your salary. You're not immune to abuse just because you're good at what you do.


Because software developers are reluctant to form unions and show solidarity with their coworkers.

Are you a software engineer? What union(s) and what do they do for you?

Are there any unions for programmers?
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