Disunion

Unions are another area where I can't find myself to answer whether I am for or against them. The best answer to "Are Unions Good?" really is, "Why and under what circumstances?"

Can they be good, even necessary? Yes, of course. Can they be counterproductive? Yes they can. That's why I can't say that I'm particularly pro-union in the same way that I can't say flat out assert that I'm for peace or education or tolerance. I need to know what's going on in a particular case to know if a union is a good fit for those circumstances.

I've known family and friends who needed to organize due to poor treatment; it fit their bill. And I've known people who have been harmed by union affiliation: it can promote an unfair sameness when it comes to pay, for example. At least three folks I know couldn't get raises which management told them they deserved and wanted to give them but their union wouldn't allow it. So union protection isn't automatically the answer either.

Until I know the background of a given situation I'm not willing to say that I'm pro or anti-union. There's simply no blanket answer.