But unions seem to no longer have the clout/power to back up their demands for higher wages or improved benefits with threats of a strike...

One needs to read US history nowadays to even know why unions exist... And that is exactly the way corporate America wants it!

Their membership has always been proof that a big part of their agenda is to keep wages at a maximum.

You don't just join a union, they allow you to join if they need more members. Supply and demand of skills also affects the amount of wages that can be asked for...

proliferation of "Right to Work" laws, I somehow don't find that to be a credible statement. Perhaps it depends on which specific union or skilled trade, but I've never really heard of unions turning down employees who want to join. The far, far bigger problem is people not joining and not paying union dues who still get every single union benefit as the dues-paying members.

The real problem is that unions have been vilified for decades now and most people haven't a clue what unions have done for them. Things like a forty hour workweek. Paid vacations. Health care, which as crappy as it can be still isn't nothing.

Where I specifically stated that unions use supply and demand of certain skills to determine the number of members they should have...

Also, in my first post I said: One needs to read US history nowadays to even know why unions exist... And that is exactly the way corporate America wants it!

I've made the points I wanted to make in this thread about unions - I like unions, I belong to one, and I very much appreciate the gains they made for US workers and me.

Enough said, I'm leaving this thread... Have a good day!

Second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-order effects...

They practice stakeholders wealth maximization. Stakeholders to them are owners, workers, customers, suppliers and the community.

We practice shareholder’s wealth maximization. Owners are the only stakeholders here. Workers here are a factor of production just as material and overhead is.

and not all my co-workers belonged to a Union because of job classifications. We got a 19% raise over a five year contract and others only received a 2% one time raise. I’m a proud Teamster.

We also received medical benefits, pensions and paid holidays, a 5 Day workweek, sick leave and vacations. Benefits received even by people who hate unions.

Before workers united, each was a disposable cog in a machine.

There are 3 kinds of companies:
1. Union
2. Non-union
3. Anti-union

Only number 3 is a threat.

its heyday here in the U.S. is long past.

I was a member of the Teamster's Union for many years when I worked in a food warehouse that had been owned by Sara Lee who sold it to one of the buyers who was a staunch Republican. Ironically when he bought the warehouse our contract was up and he could have gotten rid of the union there but he kept us and even gave us an additional vacation day.
He kept the union in the years to come because he learned that even though our wages were higher than he could have paid nonunion workers, he learned that we got the job done for him and that he could depend on us to be there every day.

My ex was a stagehand who are the people who bring you the entertainment business. If you ever watch the ending credits in movies all the way to the end you see the numerous unions stamps. There are dozens and they are on all the movies. The better The movie the more unions they use.

Got to rewite the title though..."Unions Created the Middle Class." Don't even think about running if you're not a supporter of unions. This is a litmus item, plain and simple...the Chamber of Commerce doesn't get a seat at this table.