And if you think unions aren't for skilled workers, look at how well it works NFL players or entertainment writers.
The result is exactly what you would expect if you disregard the anti-union propaganda. Greater transparency regarding salaries and working conditions, better opportinities for networking, strict and enforceable overtime regulations and vastly improved workplace safety.
Do you think that if cricket players formed a union (maybe they already did, I have no idea), they would be paid as much as NFL players?
Of course not. NFL players are paid so much because the league can afford to pay them and still stuff their bank accounts.
The same goes for TV/Movie writers - good, proven talent is in low supply and there are millions at stake, so it makes sense to pay well to get the best. The 5th box office hit on a given week usually makes a fraction of what the 1st and 2nd does, so it makes sense to optimize for hitting the 1st spot and you do that by getting the best talent and you get the best talent by paying them more than others.
We (programmers) don't need the unions to be paid well because there's still more demand for talent than supply of such talent.
If it ever happens that we need unions to be well paid, the unions won't help much because you can't pay high salaries if you don't have high revenues.
Also, given that software companies are generous with stock options, as part owners of the business, we should be very much against overpaying the employees, even if they are fellow developers.
NFL players are paid so much because the NFL Players' Association was willing to fight (and strike) to ensure the owners gave up at least a small fraction of team revenues as wages. Before the NFLPA's recognition in 1970, players usually worked second jobs to make ends meet. It was only after unionization (and, to a significant degree after the '82 and '87 strikes) that players received the kind of salaries we see today. Screenwriters are in exactly the same boat, and you'd have to pry the WGA West card from the cold, dead hands of each and every scriptwriter before you could shut down their union.
Pilots' unions in the US are an example of a skilled profession milking the industry. You can't have an airline without pilots, and the union knows exactly how much the airlines make - and pitch their wage demands to just below 'breaking the bank'.
The value of IT staff is harder to quantify - a commercial plane needs two pilots (generally). An IT department needs... ?
Given the race to the bottom in the airlines I would consider ALPA and the airline unions necessary and I am all for treating pilots better. Since pilots, you know, keep aircraft from decorating the sides of buildings.
It's pretty sad when a Wendy's manager can do better than a regional captain.
A second year DC-9 captain makes $82k/year.
A 747-400 captain can _easily_ make a quarter million a year when including bonuses and benefits.
http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/legacy/delta_air...
When performance is not measurable, all you have to go on is seniority.
Makes sense to hire the best and pay well at that point.