Besides government, do unions have any power in 2070? Would appreciate any info on where I can find more information. Thanks

Yes, but limited.

The trick is to find a non-extraterritorial company, and then unions form. Stuffer Shack has too small of an individual body base, for instance, but some plants that aren't in the pocket of Ares, S-K, or Shiawase might have issues.

Once you get to the public sector, however, they're everywhere.

Stuffer Shack is owned by Aztechnology right?

Labor Unions are stomped out as part of the Corporate Court Charter, and any A-Level and higher Corporation is required, by law, to assist in ensuring that they do not get organized.

Which is pretty much everyone except for Mr. and Mrs. Ratt's Rat On A Stick Cart in Touristville in Seattle.

Yes, *but*, they aren't part of Aztechnology the AAA corporation. They're a (semi)independant subsidiary and subject to the laws of the land, not the Aztech extraterritorial laws.

All crushed utterly.

What about Government Unions?

*ALL* labor unions.

Want to deal with any corporation that is a member of the Corporate Court, you can't support Labor Unions legally or officially in any way, shape, or form.

Jimmy Hoffa is probably generating high torque... Where ever he is.

Not in any way saying you are wrong, but what is the source on that? Others in the thread felt that public sector unions still existed.

I really don't have a source to site either way.

Me neither. But it just makes sense. How could any unions exist in SR, a world based around the unfettered ascendancy of corporate power? What collection of laborers could possibly be allowed to stand against an entity that is literally a nation unto itself? It'd be treasonous. And very unhealthy for the laborers.

I'd assume every Mega has it's union, as China, the USSR, Nazi Germany and such handled it - there is a unified, single union the regime controls. Corp controlled, of course, but probably helpful enough for, say, dealing with sexual harassment and such. Since all megas need some sort of internal judiciary (having their own laws and all), the megacorp-owned union could be what fills that role, actually.

I remember reading it in one of the Corp Books, possibly in a section that describes the Corporate Court and the way it screws with the world (I think it was the same section that stated that "This is what makes Shadowruns a requirement in order to exist in the first place" or some such.).

The possibility of Megas using a "Union" of sorts to run their internal auditing of complaints does make sense, however, especially from a PR stance in a society that sees Unions as a positive influence. Ares likely runs this way due to the "Mom, America, and Apple Pie" outlook (On the flipside, Unions do smack of Communism!), and Horizon...

...

Oh hell, who can figure out how Horizon is set up. They change their SOP almost daily depending on how the online insta-polls work out.

I doubt highly that S-K or AZT allow Unions of any sort to exist.

ARES smacks of communism, what with it's leader cult and commitee-based decisions, militancy and fascination with bugs ...

As for Horizon: They're special. Their Auditings are therefore done by Scientology (A Horizon Company).

I would assume that unions are common simply because it's more effective to be the power behind the throne AND the power behind the rebel army. When you run both sides, things go your way.

A long time ago, I worked for General Dynamics, Electric Boat division (Groton, CT. - Submarines). The contract came up at a time when there wasn't a lot of work. The union decided to go on strike. This was at a time when the company didn't need workers, so it was a great time for the company to have the workers go on strike. They didn't have to pay anyone for the work they didn't have. Perfect for the company. When the new submarine contract came in, we finally had leverage to get better wages, so, of course, the union decides to end the strike at a loss because the workers needed jobs at any wages.

It was amazing. The "extra money" the unionized workers by being unionized made went directly to union dues (i.e. the union didn't improve their take home one bit) but they felt like they were making more. When the company slowed down, all the union workers found themselves not getting paid and feeling good about it.

With a shadowrun company in control of the union and workers forced to join that union if they wanted to work for the company, you double your control over the workers and keep them from forming an effective union. You can propaganda them from both sides.

I grew up in a Union City, and with the major change in the economy that happened starting in the 1980s, they didn't change with the times. They're still heavily supported, and give a lot of support for the people they work for, but their power base is heavily hit otherwise.

An example is a friend of mine was killed in a "Mining Accident" (That's how it was officially ruled.), but in reality he was given the choice of walking papers or doing a job he wasn't trained for. Down a mine shaft he fell, with a scoop tram following (Look it up, but think "Big Underground Mining Vehicle".).

Angriest funeral I have ever been to.

But the Union couldn't bring the might it once had on the situation due to the heavy cutbacks of employees that have been going on, not to mention the fact that the company in question was no longer owned by anyone in North America any longer.

I'll shut up now. This is usually heavy and angst-ridden of me.