Unionization!
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- 55 Responses
- ribit0
OK, so this is the 'worldwide union of all creative types' right?
Just think you might want to narrow it down a bit if you really want to make this happen...
- Rand0
this is really taking off!
- planet010
what do you mean by "protestant work ethic?"
just curious.
- brooke0
Adamfinger for president!
- jamble0
Adam,
I'm really sorry you've posted what is a good idea (not an original one but that's an aside) and you've had a load of cunty remarks about your intentions from people who by and large you'll see posting about their 100 hour weeks or stress levels at some point.
The idea of unionisation isn't some goodfellas style mob deal nor is it a British miners style picket line or a Russian revolution. It's to provide better support for people in the industry.
I'd imagine there are a few fledgeling organisations out there already that are trying to get members though so setting up a "new" one might not necessarily be needed?
Like a couple of people here, I work alright hours (I still think an 8 hour day is too much though) and overtime is paid and by prior agreement only so I have it pretty good but there are so many "I'm stressed" "clients are insane" "I've worked a 100 hours this week" threads here that to dismiss union support/backing to do away with this sort thing is wrong.
I'd support a designers union to improve conditions for people in the industry who perhaps are being explioted doing more hours than are reasonable or woefully underpaid - again, we've all laughed at some job posts here and elsewhere asking the world for £13k a year.
I think you're going to be fending off a lot of crap comments about unionisation here though as it would appear that all the well paid, brilliant jobs in design are taken by the people on this forum and all the complaints posts about hours, clients etc are just jokes.
- harlequino0
Bloody Bolshevik.
;)
- vespa0
how has unionisation helped other creative industries? e.g. the music industry (worse than design in terms of worker rights) and the film industry?
I'm not slagging the idea off, i'm just interested in the practical outcomes, rather than the theory.
in the UK we have BECTU
http://www.bectu.org.uk/
but my only experience has been that the people who've joined were quite jobsworthy.
- adamfinger0
Jamble.
I apprecaiate your comments. As for fending off "a lot of crap comments," I see very little option but to do so. The idea is naturally foreign to most people on here.
Unfortunately, it seems like Good Design trumps every other concern on here. Where it's applied to and how it comes about seems sadly irrelevant.
This was one of the reasons I wanted to see if anybody was interested in starting up a website -- to dispell some myths and answer some questions. Obviously I can't keep answering every question that pops up on here. Nor is this tiny window conducive to do so.
- vespa0
actually, looking through the BECTU site, it does look like they are doing good work, and it's reassuring to know that such an organisation exists.
the reason Good Design trumps everything is because that is the central motivator for most of us creatives! i'd much rather work a little longer and make something i'm really proud of than go home at 5.30 and produce average work.
- adamfinger0
Vespa,
Unions are there to protective worker's rights. How does our being creative make us any less susceptible to being taken advantage of that those in non-creative industries? In many respects, we're more so, if for no other reason than the fact that we've rationalized our current situation as normal.
Is there no creativity required in acting? In writing? In teaching for that matter? I don't know what kind of impact unionization has had on musician's in the UK, perhaps you can shoot them an e-mail if you're truly interested.
- adamfinger0
Vespa, but wouldn't you rather be compensated for your hard work (assuming your not given overtime pay)? Wouldn't you rather be given a longer timeframe?
Wouldn't you rather go home even earlier and work on your own projects and make them look good?
- adamfinger0
e-pill.
Unfortunately, I didn't receive too many "suggestions." I received mainly criticisms which I felt compelled to reply to.
I apologize if it seems like I'm just shooting everyone down. I was trying to clear up a few misunderstandings about the idea of unionization. This has nothing to do with a reluctance to work with others, but neither does it have anything to do with simply taking the advice of someone who says something on the lines of, "just switch jobs, gain more skills, etc."
- vespa0
well i guess i feel like it's my own time management problems because i always work past whatever time is available, even if i have loads of time.
maybe i should just get off nt. yep, that would save me loads of time!
- chossy0
unionize deencouragize front bottomize, mad crazy eyez, muckle thunder thighs, pure demon prize, randomize, healthasize, blastisize, chossizize I rule izize.
I am Rand........
isize.
- e_b_c0
I'll design your union logo.