Unions protect workers from various company abuses such as unsafe/uncomfortable working conditions, long hours, arbitrary hiring & firing, and so on.
They give workers a chance to speak at the same negotiating & power levels of the managers and owners.
They allow workers to collectively bargain for wages, benefits, an acceptable work environment, and more.
Unions prevent managers from having to address worker grievances one-by-one.
Unions give workers more job security and piece of mind, reducing the stress of possible layoffs & wage/benefit cuts.
Unions create a stable, long-term employment relationship between company and employee, which is good for both.
Unions lead to higher prices for consumers since companies must pay more for wages & benefits, which are then passed on to customers.
Unions make the country less competitive since non-unionized companies in India, China, Taiwan, etc. can pay workers far less and therefore charge less and/or assign more workers per unit of product
