Dear Guest: I understand your point as it all does come down to what's in it for me. But what once started out as a means of providing a level playing field for workers has transformed itself into a great liability for this nation.

Unions exist primarily to serve the Democratic machine to ensure votes. Unions no longer really represent workers. Union rules cut into productivity and they make our products more expensive in the market. Union such as the Long Shoremen will disappear as technology takes hold. the Longshoremen held this nation hostage and that can't happen any longer.

Public Unions are more of a problem and granting them bargaining rights was another mistake by progressives because there is no one to bargain against because politicians sold themselves to public unions for their vote. Hence we have wages and benefits that are way out of whack with their private sector counterparts. We have incompetent public employees who can't be fired. We have taxpayers whose wages and benefits pale in comparison supporting these public employees. We have teacher unions who have are primarily responsible for the inadequate education our children are receiving and dare I say actual protect pedophiles
We have many public employee pensions plans whose funding is substantially inadequate and I fear that taxpayers will be on the hook for their unfunded liabilities....and the beat goes on

there is a demand for skilled blue collar workers that is not being met. This indicates that the market demand is > than supply and will determine the value of such workers as it should be and not some politicians begging for votes and a union artificially and arbitrarily applying market values to job positions

Personal Best Regards: