In case that seemed too even-handed for the employers: With a really shitty employer like Amazon (at least at some of their warehouses), a union really might p

In case that seemed too even-handed for the employers: With a really shitty employer like Amazon (at least at some of their warehouses), a union really might provide some protection to the workers. All those stories about workers having to pee in a bottle because they get docked for too many bathroom breaks: gone. The union would take care of it. Getting fired for too many demerits from the overhead surveillance cameras? Gone. Of course, when you vote Yes or No for a union, you don't really know if they'll be able to negotiate all that. Prior to the 1930s, unions provided some on-the-job safety, and some protections against arbitrary management or pay cuts. Over time, those got written into laws or companies just refrained from really shitty practices. Most companies, anyway. Not all.