Quote:
Originally Posted by Raev
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I am not a member of a union and yet somehow I have a salary, benefits, etc. Because I have skills that are valuable, and companies must compete for my labor. The price they must pay is a function of the total demand for computer programmers and the total supply.
I really think you are just trolling at this point.
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Because about 80 years ago unions fought tooth and nail to win those things for people who sell their labor for their livelihood. You, a laborer.
That function for your wage exists in some form, but is undefined. Economists try to define it, and fail stupendously. And since you're using principles of economics to justify big picture policy for the entire US economy, what economists think about general principles
matters.
And your wage isn't purely a product of quantifiable supply and demand. There are entrenched expectations and history involved in the wage for your job that may not have adjusted to match the current reality. There are matters of access; somewhere in the world, someone exists who speaks English and will do your job half as well for about 1/5 what they pay you, but your boss or your industry hasn't found a way to connect yet. Those things effect the supply and demand, but there is no way for economists to model them.