I worked directly with them, so I have TONS of criticisms of unions. They're far from perfect and frankly weak in the US. There's room for improvement for sure.

I worked directly with them, so I have TONS of criticisms of unions. They're far from perfect and frankly weak in the US. There's room for improvement for sure. And there are downsides - you're committing to a permanently adversarial relationship with management. I'd argue that relationship often exists without workers even realizing it, but having now entered the world of highly-compensated professionals (and seeing that their management structures tend to be less authoritarian) I can see why people might shy away from that. But the difference a union contract made in my day-to-day life when I was a grocery worker was astounding. I didn't have to worry about retaliatory discipline. I had better wages, better healthcare and better vacation. And it built camaraderie among union members even if it damaged relationships with management. I'm proud of what we accomplished there.