I use alot of union labor and respect every hard working one of them...There are unions that are a joke though....Case in point: My daughter's boyfriend who is only 20 worked for QFC as a stock boy and bagger...low pay...bad hours and unpredictable hours...no rewards to very hard work...So he eventually quit but it was because QFC required him to join the union and he refused to pay the dues. Absolutely no benefits to him at all...no wage help..no medical..no retirement...just pay dues because you are told to ..because it is forced on you..I had my daughter call the union to ask what the benefits were to see what they would say...they said they would be there if he ever needed help....Well he asked about getting higher pay and was told the bargaining didn't apply to his pay grade....hours? can't prevent QFC from taking unfair advantage with 25 hour weeks and calling it full time. So there is an example of a mandatory union that lines the pockets of the few at the expense of the many.

There are also a ton of companies doing quite well by their employees without unions..in fact some pay much better wages and benefits to their employees than the union equivalent employees in the same business.

In my dad's day unions were essential....he lived his whole life paying dues...nothing to show for it when he died but he paid into something he may have believed in for his whole life.

To me the union employees are great but the unions are puffed up with themselves and try to strong arm to this day....ala Jimmy Hoffa. I work with some of them and they belong in the same hole as Jimmy is in.