A single employee doesn't have much leverage compared to a company. The only leverage a worker has is the "freedom" to quit. For most companies this is a minor annoyance, but nothing they really worry about.
Compare this to the leverage a company has. It controls wages, work hours, work conditions and can fire a worker. This can have devastating impacts on the life of a worker. Unions are the only realistic option for the average workers to have an impact. It levels the playing field.
Unions can certainly have too much power and make self destructive decisions, but you can say the same about many corporations. This is not a problem with unions or corporations, but with a power balance that is out of control.
The only option to a union is strict regulations from the goverment, but that has problems of its own. At least the union has a more direct interest and domain knowledge about their work place
Until recently I would have agreed with many of your points, but I recently read a post to the contrary.[1] Here is a short excerpt:
>Everyone talks as if bosses have the better end. But talk is very different from action. If everyone were trying to start their own businesses and hire workers, that would count as "acting as if bosses have the better end of the deal." Most workers, however, make no effort to become entrepreneurs. You could object that most workers don't have the money to open their own businesses, but most rich workers make no effort to become entrepreneurs either.
Compare this to the leverage a company has. It controls wages, work hours, work conditions and can fire a worker. This can have devastating impacts on the life of a worker. Unions are the only realistic option for the average workers to have an impact. It levels the playing field.
Unions can certainly have too much power and make self destructive decisions, but you can say the same about many corporations. This is not a problem with unions or corporations, but with a power balance that is out of control.
The only option to a union is strict regulations from the goverment, but that has problems of its own. At least the union has a more direct interest and domain knowledge about their work place