this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2023
1225 points (94.2% liked)

Technology

34832 readers
1 users here now

This is the official technology community of Lemmy.ml for all news related to creation and use of technology, and to facilitate civil, meaningful discussion around it.


Ask in DM before posting product reviews or ads. All such posts otherwise are subject to removal.


Rules:

1: All Lemmy rules apply

2: Do not post low effort posts

3: NEVER post naziped*gore stuff

4: Always post article URLs or their archived version URLs as sources, NOT screenshots. Help the blind users.

5: personal rants of Big Tech CEOs like Elon Musk are unwelcome (does not include posts about their companies affecting wide range of people)

6: no advertisement posts unless verified as legitimate and non-exploitative/non-consumerist

7: crypto related posts, unless essential, are disallowed

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] TheWorstMailman@lemm.ee 54 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

Linus "spoke out" against unionizing by saying that he couldn't legally do anything to stand in the way of his employees unionizing and wouldn't want to stand in their way if they ever decided to. But he wants to make a workplace where people don't feel the need to and if they did then he would see it as a personal failure.

There's plenty to criticize Linus for right now, but I don't think that his "anti-union" stance is one of them

Edit: in the context of these allegations, then yes, his employees certainly should unionize if the actual criminal crimes in this thread are even partially true. And if that happens then I will be singing Solidarity Forever for the LMG employees, but until that happens and we see how Linus responds to that this is just not a good read on Linus' stance towards unions.

Edit2: it feels weird to have posted what could be seen as a defense of Linus under this particular post. I'm not a Linus Stan, Just a union advocate that wants criticism to be levied where it's actually called for and this doesn't seem like it is

[–] nonearther@lemmy.ml 73 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I'm not saying he meant anti-union by that line, but that's classic anti-union line saying my employees don't need unions.

Very much in line of "unions means less money for you" statement.

[–] raltoid@lemmy.world 70 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Yeah the whole "I love unions, but we at this company are a family so we don't need that", is peak anti-union talk. Throughout history it's been used by people who are horrible to their employees.

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago

Exactly. If I was really concerned about my employees etc. I would want them to have a union with power that could match mine to argue their needs and concerns. If he had a union a lot of these problems and mistakes that he's having likely wouldn't have occurred.

[–] TheWorstMailman@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago

True. If he said that line in response to a statement about wages. I can't say that I exactly remember the context in which he made that statement, but I believe that it (ironically, given this post) had more to do with workplace culture than wages.

[–] HughJanus@lemmy.ml -1 points 2 years ago

It's not unusual for several people to have the same rational thought process. That's why it's "classic".

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 44 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

An genuine employer who isn't against unions and has their employees wellbeing as a top priority should encourage the employees to unionize.

[–] TheWorstMailman@lemm.ee 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Fair point, well made. I would love to live in a world like this one day

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

If I ever start a corporation and if for some reason it isn't a workers co-op, I will make the employees unionize. I see little reason other than absolute profit maximization to not treat your employees as a great asset, assuming they're doing reasonably well. But I'm a dirty socialist so..

[–] TheWorstMailman@lemm.ee 6 points 2 years ago

Dirty? Nah, you're fresh as hell, comrade. Workers co-ops are great

I guess I have my own special version of pessimism where if I see an employer not actively hiring Pinkertons I think if it add a little w for workers these days

[–] snor10@lemm.ee 14 points 2 years ago

Lol, sounds like what someone with a reputation to uphold would say if he hated the idea of his workers unionizing.

It's manipulative doublespeak meant to discourage unionization.

The employer is by nature profit-seeking and all communication must be viewed through this lens.