I’m not trying to be defeatist. I’m just advocating for unions to stop focusing on the local aspect.

Something which larger unions, such as the steel and car industry unions in Europe have been trying (and mostly failing) to do for almost two decades.

Companies, by and large, have used the globalized economy to sidestep local action for almost 30 years now.

Ignoring this is simply a recepy for repeating the mistakes of the past. Especially in software, where there is no physical production equipment at all, and in games, where talent and labour is plentiful.

Unless you have an organization that reaches as far as the companies you’re trying to bring to the table, you will simply outmanœuvred.

You also overestimate the level of union participation if you think they would need to lay off everyone to break a union strike.

Feel free to tell me I’m wrong, but I’ve been through the proces twice, both involving union action, both in the software industry. Once as part of the workers delegation to the negotiating table. Dismiss a company’s ruthlessness or resourcefulness at your own peril.

Local unions can only hope to hold off the axe until current projects where the required know how can not be rebuilt or transfered in time are done.