My first job out of engineering school was a field engineer for a boiler company. I worked on a startup job in Longview, Washington in the early 70s. The plant was in the final stages of construction when I arrived. That was when I learned all about unions.
The electricians there nicknamed themselves the "FLEs" which stood for "Fat, Lazy Electrician." That was all I needed to know about unions. At the tail end of the job, it was all instrument wiring and, management simply could NOT get those lazy featherbedding guys off the job site.
The electricians were in the same union with the instrument techs?