> Unions have no place in the IT/IS field. 
I would have to disagree. Unfortunatly, I've been in a position where 
I've felt it nessecary to use collective bargaining to get what we 
wanted. What was it? We wanted to be treated fairly, and not have 
to leave our jobs. This isn't to say that we couldn't get better paying 
jobs elsewhere, it's just that we like the place we work so much 
that we didn't WANT to leave. We felt the only way we could get 
people to listen to our concerns was to threaten to leave as a 
whole. It is amazing how quickly people start listening when the 
entire IS department threatens to walk off the job. They wouldn't 
have listened if only a few people made that descision. Maybe we 
didn't technically have a union, but we were a union in spirit.

For another example of a white colar union, take a look at Boeing. 
In the mid-90s, many of the engineers there felt that the company 
was headed in the wrong direction, and felt that their concerns 
were not being addressed. They loved working there so much that 
they couldn't stand to see the company suffer due to the acts of a 
few people in upper management. They decided to unionize, and 
did in fact go on strike. That brought on changes very quickly, and 
the people I've talked to about it generally regard it as a positive 
experience.

Unionizing is sometimes the only way to be effectively heard and 
respected. Sad but true.


ok i'm done.


Ben
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Benjamin Exley
Information Systems Manager
The Minnesota Daily
bexley at mndaily.com
(612) 627-4070 Ext. 3190