Are Unions still useful or hurtful? How bad will this hurt the economy do you think?

[Cicero]

So as most everyone knows Hostess is closing its doors. Why? Hostess couldn't settle a deal between its employees and their union. This, for me, shows how harmful unions actually are. Because the employees wanted higher pay and couldn't settle on the deal Hostess gave, Hostess shut it's doors. Which didn't hurt Hostess's owners and 'big mucky mucks', but it hurt their employees. Now all those employees are going to have to go out and find a job, in one of the worst economies since the Great Depression. Do you think that unions are still useful or hurtful? As you could tell, I strongly believe they're hurtful. I think today's unions are around just so those union members could protest for more money. Unions aren't needed like they were in the 1900s, where the working conditions were terrible and maybe even deadly. I read the book "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, and he described the working conditions and how all the food factories worked. Back then, Unions were needed for the employees. But today, I think it's only used so the members can protest for more money (despite one of the worst economies). I believe that it will affect the economy a little bit, because both the employees are affected as well as customers and suppliers. Who knows, maybe Obama will save the baking industry ;)

[CharlieFinley]

It's in job markets like these that unions are most essential. They can frequently be hurtful, but they also secure a reasonable standard of living for their members. I'm a fan with reservations.

[Gigablue]

Unions sometimes go to far, but they do far more good than harm. We need unions to ensure workers' rights are not violated.

[DerBear]

Unions sometimes go to far, but they do far more good than harm. We need unions to ensure workers' rights are not violated.

Agreed,

Sometimes unions go too far when trying to get workers rights or decent wages. But honestly they deliver. They do what they say on the tin and that is what matters.

I think they take industrial action too quickly before effective negotiations come into play.

But like Giga said, they do more good than harm.

[chrisawesome]

These types of unions really get on my nerves. Bakers union? Get real. What the heck do you do except wait for the twinkies to come out of the oven and push a button to turn the assembly line on. Heck do they even to that much? If I was in the position of the Hostess CEO I would fire every person who walks off the job for that matter. You are going to shut down and entire company because you want more money? Uh news flash this is a recession, hardly nobody can afford to give raises in salary. They are complaining about pay and working hours when there are people who realy need a job and woudnt mind being paid $4 and hour. hint hint, they are doing most of the hard labor and depriving Americans of jobs. The only baker that should be in a union is the small town America baker who works their ass off moving around their bakery every minute.