Originally Posted by Irishblackbird

You may be right to some extent, I have only worked under a union controlled shop the last 4 years of my career as a pilot. As of today I have made less in pay and benefits under union representation than I did when negotiating my own terms with my previous employer's of the last 24 years as a pilot. So, if I wait my turn as dues paying pilot, I should eventually make what I was before just 5 years shy of retirement.
I thought the idea of a union was to increase pay and benefits for the employee. That appears to be in stark contrast to the meager gains the unions have made for the regional industry of the past decade. Under union control the regional's have been able to flourish and expand low paying jobs. As one poster has stated we now have 76 pax jets flying overlapping routes of mainline carriers, and turboprop routes are almost all but gone.

I believe union memership represents 10 -12% of the labor force in the US. I wonder why the other 88 % doesn't get in line. Please clear up my misunderstanding.