When I worked at for a food distribution union shop years ago, an impending ugly strike had created a very very difficult work environment. The management pushed the new guys hard to produce and the union guys let us know very carefully, and very surely that if we did we would have our legs broken - or worse. In deed during the strike, later on, one of the managers was murdered while 'strike breaking' - and driving a company truck. This sort of union environment really turned me off to unions, on the whole.

Years later when I worked for Southwest Airlines, I had a very very different experience with unions. I was in the computer systems department, and we were among the 15% of the company that was not union. That company had great employee relations, strong union participation and great cooperation all around. That environment was an example, to me of how unions can be a truly important part of a company's success.

I have since come to realize that my first experience was not typical, and that extreme situations should not taint my judgement of the whole issue. Management/employee relations are vital to any company's success. Unions can be a very effective force in that relationship, and assist, rather then hinder - a company's growth. The relationship need not be adversarial.