[andai]

The way I see it, if unions did nothing, Google and Amazon wouldn't be working so hard to prevent them from forming.

[zthrowaway]

Oh they do something, they help destroy a company’s ability to compete. Take a look at unionization of the auto industry in Detroit back in the 70s and 80s which basically killed our lead in the industry and gave it to Japan and Korean companies on a platter.

[Jweb_Guru]

The auto industry was unionized way before the 70s and 80s. UAW was founded in 1935. What on earth are you talking about?

[IndPhysiker]

I believe the GP is referring to the rapid depression in the area when auto companies started moving south to open-shop states (e.g. Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee), not the original unionization.

[Jweb_Guru]

If a sector unionizes, and then forty years later jobs move away, blaming everything on the unionization does not make a whole lot of sense.

[sanxiyn]

Those Japanese and Korean companies were also unionized. Mighty strange how did they compete, right?

[sethammons]

It is as if you can’t compare the two very different societies. I think it is better to keep US union talk focused on US unions.

[oh_sigh]

I think they think unions would drag down productivity and cost money. I don't know if anyone actually believes unions do nothing at all, neither good nor bad