I believe that if a group of people want to bargain collectively with a company for their services, they are free to do so. If, as a collective Union, they offer something that is of greater value to the company than having individual non-Union employees, the company would be wise to contract for that collective labor.
My personal experience with Unions, however; is not good.
I worked in aerospace for awhile. As far as I could tell, the only purpose of the Union was to preserve the Union. The union offered nothing in efficiency, skill, commitment or innovation. I was always in trouble with the Union for trying to promote those things.
In the midst of a Union Machinist strike, I was personally threatened by several individuals who just the day before I had been working with amicably.
I do not blame Union workers, I blame the Union. They need to offer something of value, not the threat of violence or damage to property.
After three years in aerospace, I move on to Silicon Valley and had an enjoyable career, inventing, innovating and moving technology forward without the drag of a union.
you are right, unions have a role, we forget that. It is just that we have few examples of where the purpose of the unions is not the union but it’s members.
I was offered a ‘regulated’ ie, union, job at the General Dynamics F-16 Fighter Factory in Fort Worth. Proud to say I turned it down. Never been a union goon and never will be.