Organize open source workers

[chadwhitacre]

"Why don't developers unionize?"
"The arc of open source software in the capitalist context is long, and it bends towards absurdity."
"an exaggeration, but only sort of."
"we need to unionize"

What if Gratipay were a union representing open source workers?

[chadwhitacre]

I'm seeing this as an evolution of the idea that Gratipay convert to a worker-owned, open cooperative (#992).

[chadwhitacre]

What could I expect to change in my daily working life by joining your "new model union"?

Unions got buy-in from workers because they offered tangible benefits to workers. Shorter days, medical care, better pay, and so on.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13564440

programmers shouldn't have to be expert negotiators to get fair compensation and working conditions

https://twitter.com/substack/status/830163178013093892

i hope unionizing can be done in modern ways without giving power to representatives

https://twitter.com/serapath/status/830204285329694720

[chadwhitacre]

I think there's a lot of room for collective marketing before it ever comes to collective bargaining. Though #937 (comment):

You need to organize a strike. If there's no pain then you need to create pain. An amiable strike—just for an hour.

[nobodxbodon]

Would being a union help #987? Or, would that make Gratipay more appealing to companies?

[chadwhitacre]

@nobodxbodon It would help more on the supply side, with open source project maintainers.