Some interesting statistics on Right to Work versus Forced Unionization states. From Human Events, week of March 21, 2011:
Among America’s 22 RTW states (including Florida, Georgia and Texas) ,non-farm, private-sector employment grew 3.7% from 1999 to 2009, while it shrank 2.8% among America’s 28 forced-unionism states (e.g. California, Illinois and New York).
During those 10 years, real personal income rose 28.3% in RTW states and sank 14.7% in forced-unionism states.
In 2009, cost-of-living-adjusted, per capita disposable personal income was $35,543 in RTW states versus $33,389 in forced-unionism states. Americans in RTW states enjoyed more freedom, plus this $2,154 premium.
Just as minimum wage laws create higher rates of unemployment, so too does forced unionism create an overall lower standard of living, for the same reason: by forcing corporations to pay higher than market wages,they necessarily force less hiring, and less business expansion. In aggregate, this causes economic harm. Self evidently, the people that actually have jobs with the unions benefit, as long as they stay employed. But even they increase their risk of getting laid off, and benefits cannot be paid forever.
None of these things are complicated. People that take the long view, and who try to balance the interests of all concered are few and far between, though. Most people want something for themselves, and could care less about others. In the long run, though, this always rebounds to their own personal detriment. You can only get things by force so long. At some point the well runs dry, and it doesn’t matter than how well honed your protesting and extortion skills are. If the jobs aren’t there, the terms of employment are not negotiable.