Dr. Sowell: You forgot to mention the Union's ubiquitous organized crime influence and their status as as fundraising arm and GOTV apparatus of the Democratic Party....
Killing the goose that lays the golden egg is one of those old fairy tales for children which has a heavy message that a lot of adults should listen to. The labor unions which have driven the makers of Twinkies into bankruptcy, potentially destroying 18,500 jobs, could have learned a lot from that old children's fairy tale.
Many people think of labor unions as organizations to benefit workers, and think of employers who are opposed to unions as just people who don't want to pay their employees more money. But some employers have made it a point to pay their...
I don't think that unions should be empowered under collective bargaining rules to break the backs of the corporations and businesses against which they bargain--because that benefits neither party. But the fact that Republicans think unions have too much power, i.e. that we haven't found an appropriate balance in bargaining power, is not an argument against the validity of unions entirely.
There should be two legitimate sides at the bargaining table--neither should be able to run roughshod over the other.
True, but unions are empowered by their monopoly status. That's the point: ALL the workers are collectively acting under the Union, to work or to strike. Let an employer try to get alternative workers, and see the matter hit the fan!
Furthermore, if a strike cripples or kills a company, it does not particularly hurt the Union. It may be hard of a few members, but they'll have an "in" at other Union shops.
So, Unions have an inherent advantage against companies. It can't be a bargain of equals.