WEll good point. Or they could have kicked us all out and hired Mexicans. :)
Exactly.
I have worked at both union and non union places. One of the union places, like you, reduced our wages at the company's request. The company said they wouldn't close their doors and move south if we took a wage reduction. They lied! lol The union bartered in good faith, it was the company that lied.
Too often people think that just because someone works at a unionized workplace that they are lazy and not worth their wages.
I have worked at non union workplaces too. The biggest problem with them is that they tend to take advantage whenever possible. Mandatory overtime with no warning. They can fire you on a whim at their discretion. One place I worked at, I worked 12 hour days for 100 days with no days off. Finally, I took the 101 day off. What did I do with my day off? I slept!
Contrast that with a similar situation at a unionized workplace, where the company had to give us a day off at least every three weeks.
In areas where decent paying jobs are hard to come by, a union can help insure that a company treats their employees in a humane manner.
If employers treated their employees well, there wouldn't be a need for unions. jmo