Background: I completed my union IBEW apprenticeship in Texas.<p>Comment on article: I read books more than I work (often!), and this article was <i>wayyyyyyy tooooooo longgggggggggg</i>. The point of effective communication is to be just concise enough to still retain your readership (I stopped reading a little less than half way).<p>Comment on unions: I am currently supporting UAW's current push to unionize Chattanooga's Volkswagon Plant; my posit to neighbors is "if unions actually rewarded blue collar employees worse, why would the corporate executives be rallying so hard with propaganda against organized labor?!"