An interesting position to consider

The Daily Beast article Why Progressives Shouldn’t Support Public Workers Unions - The Daily Beast

by Dmitri Mehlhorn, is worth considering.



I think it points to a problem with unions, which is even deeper.



I can't think of a better way to say this, but a lack of 'class consiousness' and analysis.



The sort of 'business unionism' typical of the US (though by no means exclusive to it) sees a union as only a means of increasing the economic standing of its (the union's) current members.  



This is goal seems to be pursued regardless of the effect this has on other workers -- either in other industries, or those who will want to work in the same jobs in the future.



This is, of course, a classically 'capitalist' position.  It also results in short horizon thinking, an unwillingness to participate in management decision making, and -- in the end -- the reduction of unions in the economy to 'merely' a resource cost.



The history of workers organizations, guilds, and clubs (going back to Rome if you want) shows a distressing tendency for them to become irrelevant, protecting a smaller and smaller coterie of members.



While I am fairly sure the 'solution' proposed in the article is not useful, the question if raises is not a bad one at all.