Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Draft #1: Workers of the world, unite!

[This is a draft, not a proposal.  I solicit your comments.]

If there is no rule entitled “Position” then this proposal does nothing.

Add a new dynastic rule entitled “Labor Union” with the following text:

There is a set of Workers called the “Labor Union”.  The membership of the Labor Union consists of all Workers who are Laborers, but notwithstanding the foregoing, excludes all Workers who: (1) are Management, or (2) have been expelled from the Labor Union and have not been re-admitted.  The CEO is never a member of the Labor Union.  Each Worker who is included in the Labor Union may be referred to as a “Union Member”. 

Each Union Member has one vote with respect to any matters on which the Labor Union may vote.

There is a position of “President” of the Labor Union.  Only a Union Member may be the President of the Labor Union; if a Worker who holds the position of President of the Labor Union ceases to be a Union Member then the position of President of the Labor Union becomes vacant.

If at any time the position of President of the Labor Union becomes vacant, then the Labor Union may not take any action other than the election of a President of the Labor Union.  Such an election may be called by any Union Member if the position of President of the Labor Union is vacant.  To call such an election, a Union Member makes a story post to the blog declaring that the election has commenced, and the election ends three (3) days after the time of that post, whereupon Union Members may vote by posting responses to that story post.  The winner of the election is the Union Member who is selected by a plurality of the voters (only Union Members may vote, and a Union Member’s latest post containing a vote is the only post by that Union Member that counts for the purpose of the election).

[the main action that the Labor Union should be able to take is to declare a strike.  President proposes it, membership votes on whether to strike.  No Machine components can be added so long as a strike exists.  The point of a strike is to extract higher wages or other benefits that inure to all Union Members.]

Comments

Hix:

01-05-2007 15:36:27 UTC

I think that non-President members should be allowed to “expell” themselves if they don’t want to be in the Union.  Such laborers would be allowed to work during a strike, much to the ire of the Union.

spikebrennan:

01-05-2007 15:41:50 UTC

Depends on whether this is a union shop.  :)

I think that membership in the Union should be mandatory for all Laborers—this results in the Union having strategic significance.  If the typical game action is adding and removing Parts, and this can’t happen during a Strike, then the Union is important.  If even one Worker is able to work notwithstanding a Strike, then the significance of a Strike is reduced.

(Of course, I guess it might be possible for Management to just promote everybody out of the Union).

Amnistar: he/him

01-05-2007 17:10:13 UTC

but then no one can affect the machine… :p

Amnistar: he/him

01-05-2007 17:25:31 UTC

Also yeah, scabbers, perhaps there can another benefit besides striking to being in the union?  perhaps a union worker’s wage increases 1$ more than non-Union Workers, or something similiar

Enderbean:

01-05-2007 18:21:01 UTC

Well I think the benefit should be that when Union workers make an agreement with management the agreement only affects Union workers.

So if the Union bargains for a wage increase it doesn’t help non-union workers.