George Mason University economics professor Russ Roberts writes here that unions have very little impact on worker standards of living. The argument that union advocates always advance is that without a union, workers have “unequal bargaining power.” Roberts points out that “bargaining power” is based on a person’s options besides continuing to work for his present employer, not on whether a union negotiates collectively on his behalf.

In a competitive labor market, compensation to workers must be based on productivity and unions don’t do anything to increase productivity.