My dad has been a "Union Man" for most of his adult life. He swore by the union and stuck with them through everything. He wasn't in the auto industry, but worked for John Deere in their earth moving machines division. He worked the factory life, and honestly, it sucked. Plain and simple. The conditions were terrible, poor ventilation in a massive building where there are all sorts of toxins, no cooling in the middle of hot summers bringing internal building temps above 110F many times during the summer. Heat in winter was somewhat localized in the buildings, with many areas around 50F. Then, when things got really bad, the union would call a strike, and I remember my dad being off work for months and months at a time while they "negotiated" with the company. And for what? A minimal pay increase that was lost and then some during the time that they were on strike, and no better working conditions.
I can go on and on. I have a bitter taste because my dad was in the union, but not because of the union itself. I'm not saying that the factories should be kept at a comfy 72F and smell like roses, but if the top executives would have taken a little less in their bonuses, pensions, etc then maybe there could have been better ventilation, better heating, cleaner air, and better pay without waiting for a strike to take place. It is these executives that seem to never be on the "chopping block" yet just one executive's pay (total package) could keep tons of people employed.
I believe in capitalism that if you work hard you SHOULD get ahead in the world, but at some point it becomes too much.
