It depends on the shape of the recession. Collective bargaining is a way for workers to demand some of the surplus that's otherwise flowing to owners. If the te

It depends on the shape of the recession. Collective bargaining is a way for workers to demand some of the surplus that's otherwise flowing to owners. If the tech labor market crashes by itself, such that tech firms are able to increase their revenue per employee, then a union could claw some of that back. But if layoffs are coming from companies with thin or negative margins, then to the extent that employees can secure higher wages or make themselves harder to fire, those companies will only go bankrupt faster.