Blogger Unions? (Updated)
Posted by MichaelW on 06 Aug 2007 at 3:39 pm | Tagged as: Economics, MichaelW's Page, Domestic Politics
Jon Henke doesn’t get it:
In a move that might make some people scratch their heads, a loosely formed coalition of left-leaning bloggers are trying to band together to form a labor union they hope will help them receive health insurance, conduct collective bargaining or even set professional standards.
Collectively bargain with and receive health insurance from who[m]? Who would they go on strike against? To whom does the blogger “shop steward” talk? What constitutes “management” for an independent blogger?
Apparently don’t “get it” either:
Others see a blogger coalition as a way to find health insurance discounts, fight for press credentials or even establish guidelines for dealing with advertising and presenting data on page views.
“It would raise the professionalism,” said Leslie Robinson, a writer at ColoradoConfidential.com. “Maybe we could get more jobs, bona fide jobs.”
Right. Because if there’s one thing unionizing does, it’s create jobs.
But what of Jon’s question? Who is supposed to pay for these medical benefits and who would the union bloggers bargain with? Very few bloggers get paid as it is, so I don’t understand how forming a union will increase that number, much less wring benefits from the currently non-existent employers.
Few bloggers are paid for their posts, and even fewer are able to make a living doing the work. But many say they often devote as much energy and time to their online musings as they do to their salaried careers.
While bloggers work to organize their own labor movement, their growing numbers are already being courted by some unions.
“Bloggers are on our radar screen right now for approaching and recruiting into the union,” said Gerry Colby, president of the National Writers Union, a local of the United Auto Workers. “We’re trying to develop strategies to reach bloggers and encourage them to join.”
Well, at least there are unions out there ready to take their money. Frankly, that should tell you about everything you need to know on this subject.
Update: Bill Hobbs weighs in as well.
… the idea of left-wing bloggers going on strike and refusing to blog until they get a new contract (with whom I don’t know) that allows them to do less work for more pay, does appeal to me.
More: Peter Jackson solves the riddle, as to the thinking that forming a union will provide jobs:
To the left, every social outcome, good or bad (”just” or “unjust”) is determined by power. Unfortunately this premise tacitly forces the leftist world-view into an intentionalist box: when good things happen it’s because good power—unions, left-wing activist groups, leftist politicians.—prevail over bad power—George Bush, greedy corporate management, neocons—otherwise bad things happen just as bad power intends them to.
Technorati Tags: unions, blogging, blogosphere, guilds, economics
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Textbook Economic Illiteracy…
Sticking it to The (invisible) Man….