My take now that I live in the US is that it's about people's definition of a successful and happy life. I feel in Europe people dream of having a cottage some

My take now that I live in the US is that it's about people's definition of a successful and happy life. I feel in Europe people dream of having a cottage somewhere cute and pleasant, and just relaxing with good friends, having a drink at the pub, rinse and repeat. That's the "good life". But in America, people dream of being number #1, the best athlete, the richest man, the biggest CEO, etc. That's the "good life". So in America you want to be the best richest most famous most accomplished, and Unions seem to go against that. You're looking to compete for the top spot, not find a happy compromise, your coworkers are competition. In Europe, work stands in the way of your dream of leisure cottage life and caring to your hobbies. Unions seem to help with that, by amortizing the job/compensation, you can reclaim some of your time for yourself, have a better pension, work less hours, all things that'll help you have more free time.