I'm the same. They are definitely important in protecting the vulnerable from exploitation but geez they can do some *smile* things.I’m conflicted on the union issue.
I agree with the need for unions in principal, workers need a supporting body to ensure their rights, their wages and make sure they’re not getting shafted by employers.
But they can be their own worst enemy too. Here’s a few of my own personal experiences with unions as a member.
My personal experience was the wide comb dispute of the early80's. The AWU behaviour was abhorrent, lived on a farm at the time and blokes were guarding property from AWU attacks with firearms at the height of the dispute.
Worked for a paper/magazine distributor in the 90's and during a newspaper strike a couple of union thugs came down to our distibution warehouse and threatened the owner for coninuing to pick up and deliver the paper. They smashed the place up a bit and threatened the owner with baseball bats.
I've never been in a union. As an employer now we pay staff well above award rates. We have had union reps visit and request to talk to staff covered by awards. I tell the union reps I'd be happy to pay award rates, would cost us less. None of our guys have shown any interest in joing the union.