Joe Magruder asks: "And how would the workers be better off without a union?"

Not sure they would be better off without a union. But considering the rail unions in particular, one could just as well wonder how they are better off WITH them. Of course, the never-asked question is; how they could ever be better off without the company that pays their wages. Ya I know - something has to balance the abuse of raw economic power by the few employers, over the many workers.

But just as obviously, one has to wonder what good are unions that presided over an 80% loss of jobs over the last few decades; or ones that permit 7 day weeks and 12 hour days to be the norm; or ones that poach the jobs of other crafts; or ones that would not summarily walk off the job in solidarity, the very instant some official tampered with a signal, just to goad an otherwise responsible engineer into making a safety critical mistake.

Too bad the railroad unions have utterly failed to protect their members interests, and are just as likely to do dirt on the workers as is the company - often in the form of sending their smelly thugs after those that dare to ask questions, or refuse the COPE demands.

With unions like that - who the hell could ever be worse off without 'em!