A Blogging Union?

I have finally heard it all. Hovering around the blogosphere, there is a growing movement to form a bloggers' union. Yes, you read it correctly, A BLOGGERS' union.

I guess I don't get it. What do bloggers need with a union? To what end would collective bargaining serve and who would they bargain with? Google? :)

Jason Lee Miller says that blogging "...has grown from geeky obscurity into a direct challenge to the journalism industry, even with bloggers' reputation for being unruly, unvetted, grammatically and syntactically insufficient, and above all, a disorganized mess. "

So yes, people are making a living at blogging. Some are making VERY good money at which some people respond, "you do what for a living?" But this is an individual crusade for most and a means to an end for the rest. Either way, I still don't understand why the concept of a bloggers' union was even brought up. Some say it is a way for blogger eligibility for group health. Others claim that the blogosphere isn't defined enough to even consider some kind of union.

Now for the controversial part. Stop reading now if you are union supporter. All this being said I am not a big fan of unions - of any kind. I think that unions had their place in history, but today it is a different story. Just so you know, I am not an outsider looking in. I worked for a union shop for 4 years and religiously paid my dues. What did that get me. NOTHING.

Here's my rant. It is my belief that unions take away the employer's ability to reward hard working empoyees at the same time contributing to a lower standard of performance. A friend of mine almost lost his business because of the union's negotiation to raise wages and provide a more comprehensive level of health insurance. He simply couldn't afford it. He was being held hostage by his employees and there was nothing he could do about it short of shutting down and opening under a new name.

Yahoo reports: "In a move that might make some people scratch their heads, a loosely formed coalition of left-leaning bloggers are trying to band together to form a labor union they hope will help them receive health insurance, conduct collective bargaining or even set professional standards. The effort is an extension of the blogosphere's growing power and presence, especially within the political realm, and for many, evokes memories of the early labor organization of freelance writers in the early 1980s. Organizers hope a bloggers' labor group will not only showcase the growing professionalism of the Web-based writers, but also the importance of their roles in candidates' campaigns."

Controversial point #2: Regarding the above quote, I kind of figured as much. Most of the union advocates I know are staunch democrats and left thinking individuals concerned about how they can get more without having to perform to a higher level. My opinion - Unions drive up operating costs and lower productivity. OK, there it was, the cat's outta the bag. I did it now right? So let me have it in the comments section, your posts will be welcomed regardless of stance.