As a result of several international disasters, we are witnessing the onset of unanticipated change. In addition to shifting to work-from-home, the pandemic caused the Great Resignation, as many people decided that they couldn’t face going back to a job they hated.
Ford just announced it is splitting the company to better address the opportunity of switching to electric vehicles as a result of climate change concerns. Jaguar and Volvo are also taking similar steps. In addition to forcing a shift in world power structure (Russia may no longer be a superpower), the Ukrainian conflict has also led to the creation of the first viable international cyber army, which may include Anonymous.
We will talk about these changes and conclude with my product of the week, a new HP monitor designed for our video conferencing remote-working world.
Organizing the US Tech Workforce
Historically, tech companies were immune to unions, which was an interesting advantage. Due to this, the firms were able to be more agile, keep costs down, and operate largely free of union interference.
However, in recent years, bad employee policies, low employee raises, and excessive executive salaries, coupled with practices that appear hostile, have changed that dynamic. Apple, in particular, stands out for allegedly treating its employees unfairly, leading to some employees switching to Android phones, reportedly to ensure their privacy while they attempt to unionize – and as a sign of mistrust towards their employer.
Today, almost every large technology company faces the possibility of having to deal with unions. Unions that gain power and spread also have the ability to penetrate adjacent companies by convincing existing employees that they are being mistreated.
The funding that unions get enables them to finance campaigns to unionize companies across an ecosystem, so once they reach critical mass in an industry it’s almost impossible to stop them. As soon as it reaches a critical point, it is impossible to stop this cycle that turns every union win into funding that enables their expansion.
