I'll start by saying my experience with unions is only in construction. Unions are no good. Equality in pay should not exist because not everyone is as capable or hard working as someone else with the same position/duties. The journeyman that shows up late everyday and makes the apprentices do all the work should not get paid the same as another journeyman that does his own work quickly and with quality. However, these 2 people get the same benefits and pay. Also, the quality of union work in construction has plummeted. Another thing to note is a union job costs developers anywhere from 30-50% more. Why pay more for something that others that are much cheaper and just as capable, if not more capable? Unions are a great idea in theory, but it simply doesn't work when you take into account the varying skills and work ethic of each individual.