It's going to take some time to develop on this coast. But lack of interest may be only a part of the reason why the Alley hasn't seen the same level of organizing effort. Alley experts say that Local unions may have to take some of the blame, too. It's a completely nascent effort, with only small firms involved at the moment. But some activists say the hi-tech union of the future is already here, if you know where to look.
Unions can simply be membership organizations which create standards industry, such as pay levels.
Boeing engineers who created professional associations that eventually morphed into unions are only one example. And both hi-tech workers and unions themselves need to rethink what a union could be, says Ness. WashTech's Mike Blain thinks that a hi-tech union must take into account the different needs and demands of IT workers. The fact is that a traditional union that revolves around collective bargaining and negotiation is a long ways away in this industry. And we want to do something in the meantime.