It is obvious that you have never been involved in anything else, other than listening to the big union boys, therefore you have only learned one side of a two/three sided system. I live in a "Right To Work State" (Thank God). I was forced to join a union because my organization was awarded a government contract. I lost all my previously held benefits, received a 2 cent per hour pay raise and was charged $21.00 per month for the priviledge of union membership, a 2 cent per hour raise and loss of all benefits. I never had the displeasure of hearing from or seeing a representative of the union until a year later when they sent a letter telling me they were going to increase my union dues.. ...
HAVE YOU NOT NOTICED ALL THE COMPANIES LEAVING THE USA???????????
WHY ARE THEY LEAVING? The companies cannot afford to pay you overpaid union stooges the wages and benefits you receive for setting on your buts and cry because you are not taking in more money per pay period. When the union broke General Motors and Chrysler, who was forced to dig them out of the hole? It certainly was not you overpaid union stooges, it was us other folks that got nailed instead of you folks taking a minor $2.00 to $3.00 per hour pay cut and saving your own company, you sat back and cryed and your union purchasd president sent money to keep you employed. Now the rest of the USA has to pay your high wages and repay the loan so you can receive your unjustified wage scale, and cry for more. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON THAT THE GOVERNMENT NEEDED TO BAIL GM AND CHRYSLER OUT. YOU OVERPAID UNDER WORKED BUMS COULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF IT YOURSELF IF YOU WERE ADULTS INSTEAD OF A BUNCH OF SPOILED BRATS.

I never want to work at a unionized place again. It was like trying to please 2 different bosses. People were threatened if they did not want to do what the union wanted. We could not get rid of people who came in drunk, or routinely called in "sick". I took a $10,000 pay cut to go to another job. I feel safe and less stressed at my non-unionized job.

I appreciate the balance that unions originally helped bring to the free market system, but I am fed up with them now. We have enough protections in place that we rarely need unions anymore.

I had an opportunity to join an union. I got smart, insteat, and I join the high cass.

I had a newspaper route, an egg route, and mowed lawns when I was 8 or 9 years old. I learned the value of work, earned income, and controlling expenses. I was not forced to work. Today, my children are prevented from learning many of these same life lessons because of State laws, and as a result, young adults entering the work force do not possess some of the more subtle attributes of a productive member of society such as timeliness, taking pride in their work and product, etc.

As to miminum wage law, it could be considered as a minimum unemployment law. High unemployment rates of minorities, and young adults bear witness to this fact. Businesses don't have an endless supply of money. For every item a business spends money on, there must be sales to pay for it, else the business will be bankrupt and cease to exist. Artificially increasing the minimum bid/offer for labor(by intervening in a private mutually beneficial two party contract between employer and employee) the government(s) mandate that a certain percentage of people will be unemployable. This is because their (the potential employees') skill set, and potential output does not justify the expense of contracting their labor.

I am not denying that unions have had a some positive moments in the past. But to say that the Nation achieved its greatness because of unions is an outlandish overstatement of facts. It would be more accurate to say that it is the freedom enjoyed by individuals to pursue and achieve their individual goals, and enjoy the fruits of their labor without the heavy hand of government and union intervention, looting and mooching.

You do have some true statements of fact in what you said, but only few! Long ago, before there were fair labor laws and such in place we did have all sorts of bad things, and yes indeed, the unions in general forced the issue to the front where government (of the people, by the people, and for the people) had to pay attention and change things for the good.

However, long ago, unions became one of the THE MOST corrupt organizations in this nation. They have scammed their own people for decades, and even now are raping them..... figuring that the workers are too stupid to see what they are doing, even as they, "Do it to them!" They have stolen billions in the rape of the retirement funds taken for personal and political purposes instead of what is promised!!! The workers?? To sleepy and stupid to even notice that they are being hung out to dry by their own union(s) - worse than any employer ever. Sad.

Wake up! Get off the drugged "tea wagon" and see what they are doing to the workers of this nation under the guise of helping them. I was a union shop steward and I paid attention: lots of promises and few realities!!!

The unions were a good institution at the beginning. They worked to get reasonable hours for reasonable pay. They have morphed into an elephant in the room lately. They want more and more power over workers and companies. They are more interested in growing power than helping workers. Like the government they are on a takeover and spend binge. It is time to tamp them down to a reasonable level.