Has anybody else joined this? I just signed up, I'm thinking about getting health and dental through them.
http://www.freelancersunion.org
Anyway, I just thought I'd throw that out there.
I heard good things about them during my time in NYC. :shrug:
Ah, is it just an NYC thing? I only gave it a cursory glance.
they're not the IWW, but any union is better than being on your own.
The IWW are still caught up in a 19th century notion of production. They frown on outsourcing, project management, and non-collective forms of independent agency-style work as these are "management" modes of production. It's like they never read anything past Marx. They also frown on marketing in general.
I was a member around y2k but I got into an argument about whether web work counted as "work" in the socialist sense, so I told our chapter rep to fuck himself, and stopped paying dues.
I hear the Starbuck's union started with the IWW, which is kind of cool, since it means they now understand that "work" isn't just factory labour or farming.
AIGA and Graphic Artist Guild also usually have deals for medical/dental
AIGA are pretty awesome. For graphics & design folks in the US, anyhow.
FWIW there's still no freelancer's union in Canada but we are legally allowed to pay into unemployment insurance and still get free healthcare. Dental's still not covered under Canadian healthcare (except emergency care) though, so there's still that. Collective bargaining, though, is totally fucked. Most of the manufacturing jobs that are the basis of the unions have dried up with offshoring.
Why, some might even think this is why the conservatives and republicans pushed through free trade...
And they're back to busting up the agitators with OWS. Plus ca change, eh?
So is this for sure a NYC only thing? I don't see that anywhere on the site.
Looks like it is actually nationwide. Their insurance is way cheaper than what I currently pay. I might have to look into this.
Nice.
Stink,
A little late here, but I had health and dental through FU for a few years in NYC. The coverage was great, but not the cheapest in the world. There are multiple tiers you can choose for coverage. I just switched over to my wifes plan, but it served me well and they were easy to deal with.
-temp.
//wavey
Originally posted by templeton
Stink,
A little late here, but I had health and dental through FU for a few years in NYC. The coverage was great, but not the cheapest in the world. There are multiple tiers you can choose for coverage. I just switched over to my wifes plan, but it served me well and they were easy to deal with.
-temp.
Thanks for the info, much appreciated 
Originally posted by templeton
dental through FU
if it weren't for the thread title i'd of read that totally differently. actually i did the first time.