So have I and in an industrial laundry no less—picture a big steaming hot and humid warehouse loading dirty shop rags and food service mats into giant washing vats. I can assure you that no point in time was I ever worried about the working conditions of the accounting clerks in the air conditioned offices in their comfortable chairs on their ass all day. Frankly back then, if I heard them complaining about actually having to show up at the office, I would probably grab a handful of greasy and chemical soaked rags with machine shop shards stuck to them and pelt them with them.
Has it never occurred to you that it's beneficial to those who run industrial laundry to make you feel as though you cannot demand better? Because that's what you're saying here - "some people have it worse, therefore I should be grateful and never demand better"
You understand such a mindset is one inherently designed to make you as unsuccessful as possible? This is self-destructive. This is very common anti-union propaganda, for example.
What you're missing is that while you were working in industrial laundry you actually were very privileged. Many, many people worked jobs so much worse than yours you can't even conceptualize it. What, then, do you think they're thinking of you? Perhaps... the exact same thoughts you have? So why not then cut the pay of those in industrial laundry? Why not then whip them into shape? Better yet, let us chain them to the floors, for then maybe they'll understand our graciousness.
There is always a bigger fish. If you believe you're the biggest fish, then not only are you pathetic, you're also stupid.
I wasn’t unhappy with my job at the time, I was happy to trade my labor in those conditions for the paycheck I was given. However, if the accountants that worked for the company expected me to support a need for them to work from home, because they felt that their working conditions were less than desirable, I could not understand or support that because—-and this is the important point here—-their working conditions were fine and appropriate for the job they were being asked to do.
I would also understand at that time that some other “worse” position than mine might consider my situation preferable. There were a lot of opportunities that I had that I didn’t take for the very reason being it would have been far worse. I also would not expect those folks to ever support a need for me that they found ridiculous.
But let’s face it, the relative differences between the conditions of say a sewer worker and an industrial launderer are really not as great in condition or pay. But there is a huge difference between a SWE working in a climate controlled office with a 6 figure salary, free drinks, and snacks and a sewer worker.
You want them to be supportive of an improved retirement plan, medical benefits…they can and will get behind you. You want them while they are knee deep in literal shit to get behind your desire to type on a laptop in your comfy living room on a recliner while in your pajamas—I wouldn’t hold your breath for them to grab a torch to burn down your CEO’s offices for that.
If you truly believe what I'm saying is skating the edges of Marxism, you have a mental disorder and you require treatment.
For my own conscious, I'm going to then assume you're being dishonest and don't really believe this.
What people need to realize is that we have two parties in the US: the ultra-capitalists, and the slightly-less-ultra capitalists. I'm not a communist because I'm advocating better working conditions.
> their working conditions were fine and appropriate for the job they were being asked to do
Okay. How do you figure this? You just pulled this out of your ass. Says who? And why?
Does their job require them to sit at one specific desk for 40 hours a week? No, and that's not up for debate. Therefore, their working conditions ARE NOT appropriate for their job.
If the cashier is required to stand on one leg, just for shits and giggles, is that appropriate? No, it's completely unnecessary.
Getting up from your computer, driving an hour, and then sitting down at another computer to do your job is just that - completely unnecessary. You gain nothing, and I do literally mean nothing. It's done purely for a sense of control and ego.
> But there is a huge difference between a SWE working in a climate controlled office with a 6 figure salary, free drinks, and snacks and a sewer worker
There is, but I mentioned earlier your own self-destructive attitude, and this is that.
You are of the same class. You may THINK you're leagues ahead, but you're really not. The reason you THINK you're leagues ahead is because that is advantageous for your employer.
Your employer is such an evil genius they have gotten you to not only not advocate better conditions for yourself, but actually argue you don't deserve better conditions. They don't have to do anything - they can just sit back, and you'll give them head, no questions asked.
I mean, do you really not see that? Here you are, literally advocating and fighting for things that are objectively worse for you. That's not normal behavior, something in your brain broke somewhere along the way.
