On Unions

In a recent post I laid a lot of blame on the Union for the troubles facing the auto makers. Shortly after that post, I heard a discussion on the radio where one guy said that he didn't blame the Unions for the damage that they had done to the Companies, because, after all, their job was to get whatever they could get for the Union members, but he said it in a sinister kind of way, making it sound like hurting the company was a part of that.

The fact is pretty simple. Yes, the Unions primary responsibility is to make things better for Union workers, but as such, they have a vested interest in the health and success of the Companies they bargain with, because, if they put Companies out of business, or force them into laying people off, what good have they done for the members?

Before anyone gets upset with me, I'm not anti-union. In fact, I think that the purpose for which Unions were originally formed was very good. The problem is with what most Unions have become. That is, organizations obsessed with their own power, with little regard for what is good for their members, or the Companies they work for, which is related to what is good for the members. Also, they spend tons of money trying to elect people to public office who will take actions to increase their power. This is not good for anyone.