Unions and Class

The Wisconsin collective bargaining protests have raised awareness not only of unions, it seems, but also of possible class differences.

Everyone seems to think they are part of the middle class, regardless of their wealth. Everyone thinks they have rights that should be protected, and of course they're not taking more from society than they should. Along with this is the idea that someone else - whether it's the 500 richest people in America or corporations or somebody has too much of a piece of the pie.

I think unions serve a purpose, but I have my issues with them, too. They do seem to strangle businesses. And they seem to force options on people, which runs contrary to my beliefs about freedom. But perhaps most of all, it puts people into a class, and that I object to greatly.

I don't like people thinking they are better than others by birth or wealth or education. I also don't want people thinking they are lesser. No one is in a working caste, incapable of being in 'management' or running their own business. Increasingly as work is not a lifelong assignment but on contracts it seems to be anachronistic. I'm not proposing unions should be broken, but I'm questioning the logic of the arguments that say they are essential, or beneficial.