On Fri, 23 Nov 2012 23:12:12 -0600, Ignoramus1661
wrote:

snip
My surplus trading experience, though, makes me rather scared of any
kind of unions, though.
snip

While there are exceptions such as Hershey in the late
1930s, the general rule is companies get the type and amount
of union they deserve. What goes around comes around.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hershey_Company

A problem union generally indicates a problem company [i.e.
management], who frequently rely on "the union" to provide a
scapegoat and excuse for their own failings and inertia. I
have been in meetings where division management offered the
excuse some local action (such as contracting out tool
resharpening) could not be taken because of union
opposition, until it was [again] pointed out to them our
location did not have a union. They still did not take any
action but stopped using that excuse (until the next
opportunity). FWIW -- both Fortune 500 companies with this
management mindset are now out of business.