Programmers (all knowledge workers really) ought to be forming co-ops to escape the plight of modern day wage slavery. We know how to self-organize. In co-ops we can have more autonomy and higher wages. What is holding us back?

Wage slavery is a term used to criticize exploitation of labor by business, by keeping wages low or stagnant in order to maximize profits. The situation of wage slavery can be loosely defined as a person's dependence on wages (or a salary) for their livelihood, especially when wages are low, treatment and conditions are poor, and there are few chances of upward mobility.