What Were They Thinking?

C H A P T E R 26

In Praise of Organized Labor

What Unions Really Do

IF THERE’S ONE WORD that never fails to raise the blood pressure of my friends in business, particularly in the United States but internationally as well, that word is unions. In many people’s minds, organized labor is the archenemy of the basic prerequisites for economic success—flexibility, efficiency, and a relentless emphasis on business results. Even presumably progressive thinkers and executives in countries with a strong union tradition see unions as anachronisms in the modern world. Of course, people will sometimes admit that organized labor may have been important and useful in earlier, less enlightened times and acknowledge the role of labor organizations in promoting ...