Most people, and especially most techies at places like Google have lived lives where systems appeared to play by the rules, where their legal rights are respected. So, it hits you out of nowhere the first time a company does something blatantly illegal to suppress dissent or union organizing. It’s hard to internalize that it’ll happen until it happens to you or someone you care about.
It’s why a classic mistake union organizers make is to not understand just how harshly a corporation will crack down on you, and that you have to be organizing in secret until you’re ready to win the power struggle that’ll ensue once you tip your hand to your bosses.
Most people, and especially most techies at places like Google have lived lives where systems appeared to play by the rules, where their legal rights are respected. So, it hits you out of nowhere the first time a company does something blatantly illegal to suppress dissent or union organizing. It’s hard to internalize that it’ll happen until it happens to you or someone you care about.
It’s why a classic mistake union organizers make is to not understand just how harshly a corporation will crack down on you, and that you have to be organizing in secret until you’re ready to win the power struggle that’ll ensue once you tip your hand to your bosses.