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> unions are effectively the only way for non-executive[0] employees (in the US) to get an employment contract that isn’t one-sided in favor of the employer

If they were actually one-sided then no employees would sign them. It's not like there are no alternatives to finance tech.

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I’m referring to the employment agreements that are in practice signed by basically everyone who works for a tech company (among other industries). Commonly includes provisions such as intellectual property assignment, non-solicitation, non-disclosure, non-disparagement, and occasionally non-compete (outside of California). These all protect the employer, it’s uncommon for anything in the agreement to protect the employee.

Please do not forget the mandatory arbitration clauses in many of these "agreements".

But are there good alternatives?

I've become cynical. Every job seems like it's the same shit with the same problems and there isn't anything better.

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