I have to say, this is a really American view of unions. Here in Europe, I know a lot of people who love their company and are still part of an union. First of

I have to say, this is a really American view of unions. Here in Europe, I know a lot of people who love their company and are still part of an union. First of, yeah, you could "just go" if you don't like what the company is offering. But it is not a reality for a lot of people, even in the tech industry. Leaving your job is not that easy. And it encourage a race to the bottom. With no union to negotiate, the negotiation will always be unbalanced in the favour of the employee since you are negotiating as an individual vs. a organization. Its way, way easier for company to scare you and keep wage low when their is no union to back you up. Also, union can help you when you have a manager or any higher-up that makes your work life hard. I know a lot of company who try to sweep complain under the rug for one reason or another. But when the union get involved, they just can't, they have to deal with it. Finally, employee are stake holder in a company. A lot feel involved and responsible in the company direction and future. You can't just excluded them because they are not shareholder. I mean, you can, but that will lead to a strong feeling of alienation. Union help with that, and I know some people who are part of a union just for this: They love their job and the company they work for, so they want to have a say in where the company is going.