I wrote this on slashdot, and was wondering if you guys have an opinion.
I come from a blue-collar background, my dad was a union iron worker. Trust me, there is a valuable skill set there. Strong guys who can weld, lift heavy equipment, and aren't afraid of extreme hights is, in itself, a fairly self limiting market. Anyway, the union in my view was a positive force for his industry. It set the safety standards, it provided benefits and retirement planning, it provided help for when the iron workers were mistreated. Unlike the teamsters, the iron workers were fairly well run. They partnered with the local construction companies and, in his day, help the business environment get buildings built. Decent pay and benefits and a guarantee of decent workers to employers, why wouldn't an honest business use union workers?
I often argue that our interpretation of capitalism is incorrect. The word "capital" isn't just money. It is anything of value that can be traded. Just as businesses bargain with a capital collective, i.e. the business, banks, and investors join forces to create an entity greater than any one of them as a financial collective, workers' capital, i.e. the work that they do and their skils, is their capital and there is no conflict, in my eyes, when they bargain as a collective.
An engineering union, could be a good move for the industry. It would certainly provide some "push back" against abusive contracts and NDAs.
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