Just got an interesting e-mail. There is a possibility that my job will be unionized. Apparently my employer and its union (AFSCME) have an “accretion agreement” under which the latter may attempt to organize several IT job classes, including mine, which are not currently included in the bargaining agreement. This could start next week. I have some input into the process: If a simple majority of employees in a job class sign AFSCME membership cards, that class is then unionized. FWIW, my employer “has taken a neutral position on this organizing activity.”

I know there have been various arguments pro and con about whether unions are good for IT workers, but it has been many years since I looked into this. In my last two jobs it was only of theoretical interest. Now I need to understand the issues.

The word “accretion” makes me think about what happens around black holes, but I will try not to let that image affect my judgement. If I am offered a card (a certainty if the union is serious about this) what should I do? I really do not know.