To my understanding, unions arise where some form of abuse is systemic. I.e., as an employer, I can rely on my employees not giving me the middle finger and jus

To my understanding, unions arise where some form of abuse is systemic. I.e., as an employer, I can rely on my employees not giving me the middle finger and just walking out since they are unlikely to be treated any better anywhere else. From the employee's perspective, the market doesn't work for whatever reason. See the recent talk about unionizing people who work in the games industry, for example. What happens to unions after their original purpose for existence has been fulfilled, is another story. Some might turn into vehicles for illegal activities, as some individuals move to take advantage of the existing power structure. Nevertheless, their existence should be seen as a symptom that something isn't right. An employer can probably avoid the unionizing of their workforce by addressing the underlying problem. They can also avoid or postpone it by striking down even harder on their workforce. Like so many fascist regimes have shown, this can be particularly effective in the short-term.