Yes, a union is a way to gather forces, not only in your company, but also in broader spaces. It's easier for a union (even of two) to ask to meet your local elected officials, to seek legal support, advices from other union.

It also has a tendency to yield corruption. Some would call it lobbying but in the end it's a counter political force because forces on the other sides exist already.

Not sure fighting fire with fire is the solution, a last resort.

It’s true. The best approach is to stand alone against the fire and try to put it out yourself. Maybe the fire will be nice to you if you beg.

A union isn't the only structure to stand organized.

The reasons fire is there? A system designed to allow it.

Are you just an employee or also an owner in that company? If you are an employee only, having a union to back you up could be extremely useful if things ever go bad.

Only employee. Joining an union is too expensive for me though given the reward seems pretty small. My industry does not even have a proper union (in Germany) so I'd have to join a generic one (verdi) which doesn't offer enough perks for me personally.

Ah yes we all know unions take at least 99% of your salary…

Did I ever claim that? Its 1% of my montly gross salary which is about 40€/month which is just too much given I have 2.500€/month to survive with.

Have you evaluated how much better bargaining power that €40 would get you? You might stand to make a lot more back.

He's the only employee in a 2 man company. How exactly do your think the relationship here is likely to be play out? IMO it is likely that he has a pretty good and probably rather personable relationship with the company owner. And quite likely has rather good bargaining power already given that he can double his employer's workload by walking out the door and it'd in all likelihood be a big headache to replace him.

If he can't leverage his power when he already represents 100% of the company's employees a union is unlikely to help.

That really depends on your industry and your union (and where you're based). My union doesn't negotiate my salary, I do. They do provide help with contracts, NDAs, legal advise and a bunch of other stuff and do provide salary guidance. They are also cheap at ~€475 a year.

Another larger union, which organises industrial workers, cleaning staff and generally people with less formal education, is almost twice the cost. They do negotiate at least base pay for the industries they represent. Many of the people they represent are often better off having their union do the negotiations. When handling negotiations it's obviously not only about money, but the unions do need to be able to provide at least raise in salary that can cover their dues, and sometimes they can't.

Aside from legal support, advice, and contributing to industry influence?

What have the Romans ever done for us?

My union does very little for me directly. Neither does my house or car insurance. I've never needed either.

Indirectly though my union does do stuff

I'm sure Alec Baldwin was happy he was a member of a union to represent him.

> I'm sure Alec Baldwin was happy he was a member of a union to represent him.

Why is it that so many union supporters point to entities like SAG and professional athlete unions in the US when advocating for unions, when they are a massive exception to the norm?

I would join a union like SAG. I have zero interest in being forced to make contributions to a political organization who has a passing interest in my well-being at best and is structured to benefit below-average workers.

I'm a director of my small company, and a member of UTAW. The union doesn't just help with employment disputes but also campaigns generally on improving working conditions for all, through things like health and safety and setting reasonable expectations for how work will be done.

If this was my blog I would have written something like the below which is entirely out of character not aimed at you and quite silly:

Republican jesus said: It would have been easier if the good Samaritan would have just taken the guys money without helping him.

I have this wild theory that civilization isn't actually about me. It means one can join a union without any direct personal benefits of any kind.

When for example my health insurance helps pay someone for their care I point first at them then at my chest and announce smugly, see? I paid for that!

No one thinks it's funny but that is not important, as long as I think it's funny it's a good joke.

The trial is over, it is now abundantly obvious that if everyone acts in their own self interest everything gets increasingly fucked up for everyone.

If you are hungry the free market gives you an advert for a sandwich you cant afford but would probably kill you slowly if you could.

Imagine retired people still being union members. Crazy right? They could have better spend their time looking at pictures of their children who never visit.

Ill let myself out