Sorry for the long reply as this is a complicated subject which has its pros and ocns.
I do find it interesting that I know a lot of people who don't want to belong to a union but they have to.
But the interesting thing is that the discussion it limited to the "union members" and not the union as a business entity itself. People forget about the fact that the union is a business and, yes, it supposed to organize and represent the union members, but the union builds buildings for itself and actually hires people to work for it including the union hierarchy. These people don't work for nothing. They have a salary and benefits as they are the real union employees. When a union losses members there is less money to support the "union employees." It is to their advantage to keep the union members paying their dues to them or they will become unemployed. It?s job security.
Years ago it was extremely important for the workers to unionize because they were abused by their employers. However, are the employers abusing the workers today? Some employers would because they could. But again is the tail wagging the dog, the union running the company, holding their employer hostage?
I worked as a sales engineer for a manufacturer and the company was most awesome. Every aspect was great. The only person in that whole facility that was a complete jerk was the plant manager. He was the ruler and king, nobody crossed him or you got his wrath. He had the ability to make a grown man cry, chew him up, degrade him, and spit him out making him feel lower than dirt. He would be easily described as a tyrant. The facility is a prime example of a shop where the workers need representation. But the workers are scared to death as they needed their jobs. Yes, there are still places that could still use union representation.
A company is in business to make a profit and the cost of labor affects its ability to acquire jobs and stay competitive which is a bit of a balancing act. How does a union member keep the contractor/employer in business? Are you working for the union who assigns you to a contractor or are you employed by the contractor? I?ve always have been loyal to the one who signs my paycheck myself. If the union signs your paycheck that?s where your loyalty belongs.
As has been eluded to in this thread there are all sorts of different mixes and no sure answers. There are both positives and negatives with some areas being more balance than others I?m sure.
It can not be forgotten that it is you who make up a major part of this economy by adding value and not an overhead expense without producing anything. I love this industry because we make a difference. Do you realize the value added that we contribute to. If you?re in maintenance you keep the machines running, in construction you are adding to the value to the materials that you are installing, etc? Have you ever considered the cost of lost production when a machine goes down and you repair it and get it back up and running? You do make a difference and are contributing to helping this struggling economy grow. I would probably say the most here are employed in the private sector and are self employed and are responsible to make a profit or work for an employer who needs to make a profit in order to keep you as an employee.
So, how can unions be beneficial in making this all work out?