Break up bad companies; replace bad union bosses

Prospects for General Strikes and Unionization

• Some commenters dismiss the idea of a U.S. general strike by 2028 as fantasy, citing low union membership despite positive views of unions.
• Long-running anti-union propaganda and lack of lived experience with labor organizing are seen as major obstacles to large-scale collective action.

Messaging, Propaganda, and Skepticism

• Pro‑union advocates are criticized for “preaching to the choir” and treating skeptics as mere victims of propaganda rather than addressing concerns.
• Others counter that most mass media is owned by anti‑union interests, making persuasive pro‑union messaging structurally difficult.

Corruption, Management, and Power Structures

• Critics note decades of union corruption; defenders respond that management corruption is at least as pervasive, but far less stigmatized.
• Several comments frame the problem as an “ownership class” with little social obligation and dominant control over media and politics.

Right-to-Work, Compulsory Membership, and Protections

• Confusion about right‑to‑work states appears: some think unions are pointless if you can be fired anyway; others clarify that union contracts and federal law still provide protection and leverage.
• There is disagreement over whether shops should be allowed to require union membership as a condition of employment.

Political Role of Unions and Member Dissent

• One camp insists unions must be political because their legal existence is constantly under attack.
• Others object to mandatory dues funding causes they oppose, arguing this is unfair to ideologically diverse members.
• Teacher-union donations to left‑leaning causes spark debate over whether this is inevitable self‑interest or illegitimate coercion.

What Unions Should Fight For

• A minority view argues U.S. unions should focus narrowly on wages, claiming safety and benefits are already covered by regulation and litigation, and that anti‑automation, rigid work rules, and “unrealistic” benefits hurt competitiveness.
• Opponents say limiting bargaining to wages weakens labor’s leverage and ignores crucial issues like hours, safety, and healthcare economics.

Co‑ops, “For‑Profit Unions,” and Antitrust

• Some propose worker‑owned corporations that “sell organized labor” as an alternative to classic unions, shifting both upside and business risk to workers.
• Others warn this may recreate medieval guild‑style cartels or face weak antitrust enforcement; supporters counter that current antitrust is already incoherent.

Public Sector, “Hostage-Taking,” and Essential Services

• Critics of public‑sector unions (teachers, dockworkers, police, fire, rail) argue they can “hold the public hostage,” block automation, secure outsized pensions, and lack democratic accountability from “customers.”
• Defenders respond that disruption is the point of strikes; organized labor historically relied on disruptive protest to win rights, and management shares blame for any impasse.
• There’s disagreement over whether high union density abroad (e.g., Austria) invalidates U.S.-specific critiques.

Education, Phonics, and Literacy

• One line of argument blames teacher unions for opposing phonics and contributing to declining literacy and parent flight from public schools.
• Others question the evidence, suggest policy and curricula are largely set by legislatures and administrators, and say unions’ objections target rushed or top‑down implementations, not phonics itself.
• The factual relationship between phonics policy, unions, and literacy trends remains contested and partly unclear in the thread.

Police Unions vs Other Public Unions

• Multiple commenters single out police unions as uniquely dangerous: they defend members who abuse or kill, expand police power, and place officers effectively above the law.
• Some see other public‑sector unions (e.g., in Illinois) as extracting unsustainable pensions via politics, but still fundamentally different from police unions in moral risk.

Customers, Markets, and Structural Limits

• One view claims customers can “destroy” bad firms and unions by withdrawing business.
• Several replies argue this is mostly illusory: in concentrated markets there’s often no real alternative; powerful incumbents buy or kill “good” competitors; and most consumers are too economically constrained to discipline corporations or unions meaningfully.

Internal Critique: Unions’ Broader Obligations

• A late thread criticizes even “good” unions for acting like narrow-interest cartels: backing licensure, resisting change, and supporting special carveouts that benefit members while raising barriers for other workers.
• The commenter contrasts this with early 20th‑century labor’s universalist aims (minimum wage, safety for all), and argues unions will only regain broad support if they fight for systemic change and the interests of all non‑wealthy workers, not just dues‑payers.