re: Michigan teacher wants to quit union--but can't

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I'd honestly like you to expound upon that. What benefit can unions provide in today's world?

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I am hardly pro-union, but I will give you my opinion on this:

Unions are best when they are focusing on issues that affect all employees regardless of merit. For example, worker safety.

It's not like crappy miners should get worse gear. When unions push for safety related reforms and expenditures (protective gear for miners, better conditions for pilots and drivers so they don't fall asleep while operating, etc) they are pushing back against a corporation that is trying to make a profit.

So without a union, Mining Company X will only spend 1% of their operating budget on safety equipment because that is what Company Y spends. If they spend more, they lose money. However a union can insist on better conditions at both companies.

Where unions get off track are in compensation and employee relations. Better workers should get paid more. Poor workers should get fired. Yes there is some arbitrary judgement in there, but that is life. Unions don't improve that problem, they just substitute it with another one.

So unions do serve a purpose-setting minimum standards for workers, particularly in the areas of worker safety.