this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2023
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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy warns remote workers: 'It's probably not going to work out for you'::Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees who defy his edict to return to the office three days a week that "it's probably not going to work out for you."

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[–] 3laws@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It's not looking good for programers in particular.

The reason why the can get paid as much as they want is 100% based on you being able to jump ship form company to company without having to wait for a company to find common ground between you and them through a union.

Sure, they'll still be hugely compensated but tech companies will keep abusing interns, freelancers. Obviously outsourcing will explode even more than it already has in the last 10 years.

[–] AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 52 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

True, but that's why you do a trade union instead of a company union. And programmers have a lot to gain. These companies, shareholders, and CEOs rake in billions that could be going to employees.

A programmer will make a feature that saves the company a million dollars and they'll get paid $100,000 to build it.

Now is the best time for programmers to unionize. Do it when you already have leverage to make sure the good times stay good. Otherwise, we'll eventually be as replaceable as drafters are now.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 28 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I don't buy it. This isn't the only mechanism, probably not even the most important one, for why salaries are where they are. Shortage of and especially of highly competent programmers is. In fact this actually underpins why jumping ship is even as easy as it is. Uninionization will provide additional leverage, while not diminishing the shortage pressure. Part of the point is that this leverage can substitute the leverage we have due to the current shortage, if and when it diminishes.

[–] gian@lemmy.grys.it 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The reason why the can get paid as much as they want is 100% based on you being able to jump ship form company to company without having to wait for a company to find common ground between you and them through a union.

How strange, were I live there are Unions but when I jump ship I get paid what I want, without waiting for the Union, what do you think a Union is for ?

The real power of a Union is to let workers to negotiate for a minimum wage level (for example, I cannot be employed for less than a certain wage because it would be illegal to do so) that are reasonable and some basic rights the workers have (for example, no at will employment, a minimum PTO days which are enforced and thing like this).

True, this has some consequences, mainly companies try to go for the legal minimum, but I would say that it is positive overall

[–] 3laws@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Do you get paid $450k with only 5 years of experience? Cuz that's industry standard rn.

[–] the_post_of_tom_joad@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You, within my union, can get paid more than the minimum. There's nothing against it in the bylaws. Shockingly, very few people are able to individually negotiate higher wages than the minimum. I wonder why that might be?