[crescen7]

“I can’t help wondering how “socialized medicine” helps these unions. Wouldn’t the union members be worse off, compared to their current situation?”

Members might be worse off. But many, if not most union pensions funds are on the brink of insolvency and likely to not be able to meet the demands of the coming wave of “boomer” retirement. Many of the pension agreements have a clause that alleviates their healthcare obligations if a public option is available.

[HoosierHawk]

So, if I understand what you're saying, the retiring "boomers" will go onto the Medicare rolls, assuming they're old enough. But don't the younger members understand that they'll end up on the public option, with less benes and more cost in the form of taxes?

Believe me, I'm not asking you to explain the union mindset. It just seems to me that they're shooting themselves, and the rest of us, in our collective foot.