In a global economy, the production of something so ephemeral like software seems difficult to control regionally by a union. In the film industry the guild/unions are awfully powerful. A whole swath of our industry might shut down soon because all the unions are banding together to support the union agitating for the strike. A problem as well but from the other side of the coin. The guild strikes about 15 years ago were a major force in exploding the volume of unscripted TV and new media content which worked against them. IMHO you can’t rely on unions or corporations. You gotta expand your revenue streams.
RE: Degrading working conditions, what is there to be done?