>The whole point of a union is people sticking together for long to tend to each other's interests. I spent almost a decade doing union labour in Canada (auto

>The whole point of a union is people sticking together for long to tend to each other's interests. I spent almost a decade doing union labour in Canada (auto industry). The idea that they "stick together" any more than any other group is not my experience. During one of our negotiations, the company proposed making everyone hired after a certain start date a "temporary employee" (no benefits, lower pay, can be laid off or recalled with 24h notice). This would affect 25% of the employees. In return, the company offered a bigger signing bonus: $2500 vs the usual $1000. The union leadership recommended voting against the contract; the fact they even brought it to the table is crazy. And the union membership voted it in anyway. Screwed over fellow workers for $1500 a head. It was that easy. Us "temporary workers" were now working beside people making 30% more money, doing the same job but facing more uncertainty. We were gradually laid off over a couple years, all in the name of "corporate viability". I had spent years hearing about "solidarity", but the second an extra paycheque was on the table no one cared about their "union brother". Joke's on that union, I guess: the plant closed during the 2008 financial crisis and everyone lost their job. Hope that $1500 lasted!