The problems westerners have experienced with unions is the general lack of cooperation, but the general antagonistic approach many industries have taken.

Japanese executives often spend time with unions or part of the union.

Unions now seek to justify themselves and to cement themselves, but forget about promoting both employee and employer welfare.

Union leadership often only looks to union politics and forgets the average workers' needs. The teachers union appear to function most poorly, not advancing the needs of the students but only of its most vocal members.


I do respect the need for unions in light of abuses management heaped upon the workers during and following industrialization. The problem is, neither management nor union leadership have modernized or gotten with the times.

I couldn't help but laugh and think of this thread when I read a blurb on the Northwest Airlines strike. NWA had been preparing for the strike by training replacements so they haven't given in to union demands and it's been several months now. Apparently after less than two months the replacements exceeded the on-time arrival rate of the union crew so NWA is doing much better in that aspect than with "highly trained professionals."