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Why do tech unions in other countries not produce the same pay level found in the US?

Because we don't have the same costs as in the US (university, healthcare, housing, ...). For instance, the cost to attend courses in a good university in Belgium is at most 835 euro/year [0]. (This does not include textbooks)

In the EU, the market is much more fragmented because of the many languages we speak.

[0] https://uclouvain.be/en/study/inscriptions/tuition-fees.html

Because we don't have the same costs as in the US

Well, if you live in Vancouver you'll pay just as much as SF for housing, maybe half for university and I'll give you healthcare costs are minimal.

But salaries are maybe 60% of SF. So I don't think it's that.

What university in the Bay Area costs only twice as much as SFU/UBC?

Don't think this assumption that "the employer will pay according to the cost of living" is true at all. Non-tech worked in Silicon Valley are not getting the same kind of party, for example.

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