you also don't have to set your union up exactly like SAG, either. My point is that the members of a union get to choose whether they are propping up mediocrity, gatekeeping or something else.

Maybe interviewing or freelancing lead generation is a hassle - your local IUP (International Union of Programmers) could help sling jobs your way like a pipefitter union.

Maybe you want something different? I bet we could find a model of some union doing that; the world is big

They don't get to choose. The only way to get above-market pay is to keep potential employees out who would otherwise be offering better price:performance. That's the goal of a union, but they'll represent it in different ways, sometimes less obvious than others.

A union is made out of its members, a union's goals generally match what the majority of dues paying members want. There is no platonic union waiting in the wings. There are just groups of employees that could all work together to get things the mutually want.

They can't really do anything without an exclusivity deal or some other way to force employees to be part of the union. If they say that it's not their goal, they're lying.

We live in times of reddit/blind/social media - IT workers can already pseudo-unionize ehile staying under the radar.

We dont need formal union, but informal one - through information dissemination over Internet and absolutely voluntary participation and knowledge sharing - this is fine for me.

This is how we get leetcode practice, interview prep, job hopping, quiet quitting, overemployed, and other “best practices” to get edge over employers

That is a gross misunderstanding of how the SAG and NBA Players Union work.

They do not gatekeep. Full stop, end of story. They provide contractual minimum pay and benefits for their members, and that's it. Members are free to negotiate for higher pay, and many do. (In the NBA, the cap is imposed by the owners, not the union. There is no cap in Hollywood.)

Hollywood productions and NBA teams are free to negotiate with and hire non-members, with the caveat that such individuals may become members of the appropriate union upon the signing of the contract and that contract must then adhere to the union minimums.

In both cases, union membership is automatic upon certain events. For SAG, this means appearing in one or more SAG-governed productions (depending on the level of the role, i.e., lead vs supporting vs background). For NBA players, this means getting signed to an NBA team.

One additional benefit of unions is coordinating strikes for the purposes of change, which is why we have many of the benefits taken for granted today as well as showing the importance of undervalued roles in society. And protesting retirement age hikes in France.