A bloggers' union?

The Associated Press reports that a "coalition of left-leaning bloggers" is trying to form a labor union, or something, that will enable them to acquire affordable health insurance, in addition to other benefits.

The effort is an extension of the blogosphere's growing power and presence, especially within the political realm, and for many, evokes memories of the early labor organization of freelance writers in the early 1980s.

[...]

In a world as diverse, vocal and unwieldy as the blogosphere, there's no consensus about what type of organization is needed and who should be included. Some argue for a free-standing association for activist bloggers while others suggest a guild open to any blogger—from knitting fans to video gamers—that could be created within established labor groups.

Others see a blogger coalition as a way to find health insurance discounts, fight for press credentials or even establish guidelines for dealing with advertising and presenting data on page views.

If the idea of a bloggers' union is about setting "professional standards," it seems to me that it is running in direct contradiction to what blogging is actually about. Most bloggers are not formally-trained writers, and are not interested in submitting their work, even theoretically, to a set of standards. I'm not even sure what that would mean? Would dues-paying members get to place a banner on their blogs that reads "Approved by the Bloggers' Association?" What would be the purpose? People are drawn to blogs for their own reasons, and I don't suspect that having an official stamp of approval is near the top of most people's preferences.

If it really is about health insurance, it might benefit bloggers who can afford the dues to explore membership in an existing organization such as the National Writers' Union.

A union of people from "a world as diverse, vocal and unwieldy as the blogosphere" sounds to me like a non-starter.