software engineers should join unions

i've been looking up to Peter Sunde since my young pirate days, and last week i watched a fireside talk between Sofie Hvitved and Peter Sunde on youtube, and i've been thinking about it ever since.

the tesla situation in sweden is infuriating.. it makes me mad when tech companies try to sidestep local labor practices, but iam proud of the reactions it got. tesla has refused to sign collective agreements with swedish unions, and now workers across different sectors are striking in solidarity. it's interesting how the world will dissect every tweet from president elon musk (lol) but often stays silent on these fundamental workplace issues that tesla has. as software engineers, we have significant leverage that we rarely use to support workers with less privilege.

there's a persistent idea in our industry that writing code is somehow politically neutral, but that's never been the case. the technologies we build, the companies we choose to work for, and the workplace conditions we accept are all inherently political choices. many of us claim to be apolitical while working for companies whose business models and labor practices reflect very specific political viewpoints. this contradiction needs to be acknowledged more openly.

strong labor protections can actually be a competitive advantage for tech companies. better working conditions lead to better retention, more honest feedback, and ultimately better products... in places with a strong union tradition, developers can speak up about ethical concerns without fear of immediate retaliation. as we build increasingly powerful and potentially problematic technologies, this ability to raise concerns becomes even more crucial. :]

joining a union isn't just self-protection—it's recognizing our responsibility to the community and society.

for folks in denmark, i can recommend prosa.