"I am very disappointed in the lack of imagination and vision of union leadership."
I agree with you there. If the unions would guarantee the productivity of union members, and hence, their value to the business, they'd be an asset instead of a liability. That they aren't doing this this speaks to the last part of your post, I'm afraid
The concept of giving unions/members "ownership" in a company was a collossal failure with United Airlines. That's not to say there isn't a successful model for this somewhere.
Union membership and contracts limit the ability of individuals to negotiate their labor. That is probably one reason people get left behind whild business moves overseas.