[P2P-F] Unions for Immaterial Production?

[Mark Dilley]

Patrick,

While I agree that intimidation and coercion have been used and are effective (at least in the short term) - I think that doesn't shine enough light on other factors that work.

Off the top of my head, here are a couple:

	- Common goals
	- Solidarity with co-workers - workers in general
	- Sense of belonging

What are others reasons to join together that people can think of?

On 25Feb2011, at 9:39 AM, Patrick Anderson wrote:

> The effectiveness of collective bargaining has always been threatened
> by independent peers who are willing to accept lower wages and endure
> poor working conditions.
> 
> For traditional manufacturing jobs, these 'alternate' workers can
> usually be kept from accessing the Means of Production by forming a
> physical barrier around the worksite or through various threats that
> can be carried out because it is easy to monitor who is actually
> entering the establishment.
> 
> Yet these valuable techniques of intimidation and coercion so vital to
> protecting Worker Rights are unlikely to be applicable in the realm of
> "immaterial production".
> 
> When it comes to something like Free Software, how can we, the
> International Programmers of the World, unionize effectively to *stop*
> independent programmers from creating the solutions that consumers
> need?
> 
> This is a catastrophic issue, as many of these independents are
> willing to work not just for a low Wage, but for Free!  They often fix
> bugs and add features without any pay at all!
> 
> How can workers in the 'immaterial' sphere possibly "make a living"
> with such anarchy and disrespect for organized labor, and with no
> ability to stop that production?