[Potando]

There have been some fairly monstrous cases of unions crippling their industries (printers, watersiders). I think that might have put some people off the idea. Not to say all unions are that broken but it seems that sometimes they grow too big.

It's one thing to negotiate for more pay, but when you actively seek to prevent technological improvements which might make your job redundant, that makes you a burden on the rest of society.

[specialist]

Unions crippled print manufacturing?

Not amazing technological progress (from photographic plates thru composite color), long term decline of high margin markets (books, mags, news), and costs of production approaching zero?

Where exactly do you think print manufacturing would be today, minus unions?

[eli_gottlieb]

Ok, but it's not like companies don't do the exact same thing. What do you call Microsoft's Windows and Office monopolies if not ways of holding society back so a firm can collect monopoly rents and avoid obsolescence?