They did bring up the dress code issue to their managers, and it was dismissed. Petitioning it is a level above that, and while I agree that firing them is a bit much, it doesn't mean they can't take feedback necessarily. It sounds like they would still be receptive if you bring up a more serious issue in the proper way (i.e. talking to your manager).
Indeed, the better way is to unionize and bargain. Work contracts and conditions are a matter of haggling between self-interested groups, and while the interns should certainly accept dress codes as conditions of employment now, they should be testing the limits of their bargaining power together to see what they can accomplish for the future.
(Startups where all parties have honest information about the gamble they're taking are an exception -- and startups are typically not the kinds of places that unionize because the process takes longer than the startup lasts.)
That is not really a union issue, what we need is a few tech workers to push for IRS Exemption rules and sue over it, to get some clear established case law on who and who is not exempt from overtime.
The IRS and DOL have been woefully derelict in their guidance on this issue, and I personally believe that many of the IT workers that are classified as exempt today should not be.
It is really a union issue: the government can't be counted on to have workers' interests at heart when workers aren't the ones running the government. Workers should do it ourselves.
Oh right, some people think working 60 hours a week is okay. sigh.
It's not that loads of people think 60 hours/week is ok. It's that lots of people seem to think there's something immoral and mafia-esque about collective bargaining and organized labor. Labor rights don't get improved because people walk away from bad jobs (there will always be someone sufficiently desperate as to undercut everyone else, even if the employers have to change a bunch of laws to make it happen), and they don't get improved because the government sees just how lovely and moral it would be to improve labor rights.
They get improved because workers unite and fight for our collective interests. To my mind, people who don't admit this have a strangely romanticized conception of how business works.
You also have wage fixing/anti-poaching agreements that could potentially be more effectively fought. Overly broad non-compete agreements are another obvious target.
I am aware, I am also aware the "computer professional" is narrowly defined and simply because you work with a computer does not make you a "computer professional" I am aware of several companies that do not classify their employees properly
>> Workers should do it ourselves.
Workers should by refusing to work those jobs, I myself am Salaried Non-Exempt. I personally disagree with the concept of unions, and find they are often worse over the long term