Are unions a good thing?

Unions are groups of employees who band together to obtain better wages, working conditions, work hours, and to resolve grievances against their employers.

One side says:
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  • The right to organize is a core American value.

    In our country, workers have a right to stick together without interference.

  • The free market has never taken care of workers; unions have.

    In the real world, there's no such thing as a free market. The market is always rigged in favor of those with money. Unions act as a counterweight to the power of money.

  • The government won't protect workers without pressure from unions.

    Laws that protect workers only get passed when unions are strong. When unions are weak, those laws get rolled back. That's why big business hates unions.

  • Unions help level the playing field between employers and employees.

    Employers have money and political power, which means they get to make the rules. Without unions, it's just too easy for employers to take advantage.

  • It's a myth that unions hurt competitiveness.

    Look at Germany's automobile sector – highly unionized, which means higher wages for workers – and also very successful.

  • The Big Picture: Strengthen Unions, by MoveOn.org
  • Confessions of a Union Buster, by World Class Delta Flight Attendants

The other side says:
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  • Unions kill jobs.

    Unions make US industry less competitive than that of other countries. Our auto industry is Exhibit A.

  • Unions are unAmerican.

    Unions are about rewarding the lazy and the inefficient, and making industry more bureaucratic. It goes against the American idea of rewarding hard work and talent.

  • Unions are no longer needed.

    A hundred years ago, workers were exploited by a ruthless industrial system. Today, we have labor laws that protect workers. It's industry that needs to be protected now.

  • Unions get between employer and employee.

    Unions take away the right of worker and employer to negotiate directly. This is a basic American freedom.

  • The Life of Julius: How Unions Hurt Workers, by Competitive Enterprise Institute
  • Are Unions Killing American Jobs? by Americans for Limited Government