Many people have a stigma about unions. There are many corrupt unions, and many unions that are dominated by bad actors. And they clash with the individualism t

Many people have a stigma about unions. There are many corrupt unions, and many unions that are dominated by bad actors. And they clash with the individualism that many of us feel. And there's lack of trust concerning "We're paying the union all this money, what are they doing with it?" I was in a union when I was a grocery store worker. We were negotiating a new contract - several grocery unions on one side and one person on the other side to represent the 5 major grocery companies - and there was a vote taken when my union representative was not present. We were bound by it because we had already agreed to this type of negotiation. (It wasn't a bad deal.) Some unions, such as the local Welder's union, act as an employment agency for union members too. When your job ends or lays you off, you put your name on their job board and wait for a job. Employers call the union and get whomever's at the top of the list.