Why are there still Labor Unions in America? Would we be better or worse off without them?

Question

In states where labor unions are heavy, the cost of living is much higher (and taxes usually too.) In those open shop states with few if any labor unions, the cost of living is lower, along with taxes.
Of course, the wages in open shop states are less too.
What is the answer here?
Are labor unions a big player in why jobs are being shipped overseas? Or is that just massive corporate greed?
Is everyone with a 401k a contributor to jobs being shipped overseas? If you want your returns higher, than you work to get the company to cut costs, and labor is a huge cost (especially when you add in benefits.)

Answer 1

It is solely because of the advent of unions that we have "standards" that must be adhered to by ALL employers. Unions paved the way for better working conditions, as a whole, for everyone in this country...not just unions.

Unions are the great equalizer to the tyranical CEO, who, if they could would pay everyone pennies on the dollar and do away with ALL benefits

We see this happening even today in the airline industry...the heads of the comapny are slowly breaking the unions, and now have been able to get out of paying pensions to retired pilots who depend on that money.

Unions tend to get the brunt of negative media...especially when there is some "strike" happening.

don't be fooled...it takes a a huge sacrifice and enormous leap of faith to go out on strike....union members are often made out to be greedy in wanting more...but I assure you...it is a micro-fraction of the money that the companies and CEO' s are putting in their pockets.
In the case of the airlines strikes of the 80's it was Union members getting fed up with having to take concessions over the years, for the good of the company, only to have promises broken by management when it was time to make good on those promises.

If unions die off in this country....we are in for serious trouble...you think outsourcing jobs to India is bad? Pfffft ....

In my opinion...people who talk down about unions....are living in severe ignorance and aught not open their mouth until they get un-ignered. :)

Answer 2

To answer: The states with lower cost of living are more rural and the tax base is usually less. Now that big business has been given the green light( NAFTA) to go abroud the companies are scrambling to aquire land and build other facilities. We as Americans keep buying the CHEAPER stuff form other countries and our home companines can't compete with that. So they have to go. I don't feel the unions had anything to do with our allowing all this cheaper( in every sense of the word) products to flood our country. It was us not standing by our American companies.
I know for a fact that one company said they were having it bad and decided to cut it's employees wages and have them pay more for health care, all at the same time. The employees grumbled but thought they would get these things back when the company showed a better profit. The following year the company recorded record sales and profits. The employees asked about their raises and were told it would take a few more yrs. to get back. That's when they went union and got back just what they lost and a more secure job. The year after they went union the company had an even greater profit. The company now has to go through a procedure for hiring, firing, and promotion. No more good ole' boys club.
So yes, I feel unions do have their place. Union workers should be helping the companies they work for make as much money as they can, with imput about ways to limit wasted resources. Hold each and every employee accountable for doing the job right the first time and being at work on time and ready for a full day. Watch out for and report safety issues and get them contained and fixed as soon as possible.

Answer 3

We are a union shop but I am not union because I am administrative and office and admin aren't union. We hire all union pipe fitters, boilermakers, shipwrights, electrician, riggers, labor.
This way we get people we don't even need to interview or test, if they are journeymen welders we know they can weld we need 5 tomorrow we call dispatch and they send us 5, when we are done with them we let them go and the union sends them someplace else. It is hard to get young people to become boilermakers and other trades the unions do much of the training and testing. Without union how could we know we were getting quality trades people?
Would you want a house made by a non union brick mason?

Answer 4

You made several good points but I wanted to add that while countries without labor unions and collective bargaining do have the benefit of cheaper costs of living, their standard of living is also much lower.