Without trying to go into too many details, because it would be a long discussion, unions have both positives and negatives. There are people on both sides that

Without trying to go into too many details, because it would be a long discussion, unions have both positives and negatives. There are people on both sides that ignore/discount the other side, so it can be difficult to even have a reasonable discussion on it. Some points from both sides Positives - Without unions, we wouldn't have the 40 hour work week or many of the safety regulations we take for granted. - Without unions, people can wind up working long hours in inhumane environments because it's the only opportunity they have (do it or starve). That's true even today. Negatives - Union members consider anyone who disagrees with the union an enemy, dishing out verbal and physical abuse on those people. - Unions sometimes prevent poor workers from being fired, resulting in certain worse conditions for everyone involved. I'm not looking to debate any of the above, just throwing out some examples from each side. The topic of unions is far from clear cut as good or bad.