Unions

[mrocktor]

It is false to think that the interest of a bad worker and a good worker are common

I realize this may be implicit in your idea of a "bad" worker, but I think it is important to point out that the interest of a more productive/skilled worker and that of a less productive/skilled worker are common - assuming both are honest. If by "bad" worker you mean someone who wants to live off others or get more than his work is worth to the employer - I agree entirely.

[softwareNerd]

I realize this may be implicit in your idea of a "bad" worker, but I think it is important to point out that the interest of a more productive/skilled worker and that of a less productive/skilled worker are common - assuming both are honest. If by "bad" worker you mean someone who wants to live off others or get more than his work is worth to the employer - I agree entirely.

Yes, I agree, and thanks for making the clarification. If one looks as comparisons among workers, unions will always push for a more egalitarian arrangement than would otherwise evolve. [in theory, it seems a unions need not push for this; but that would be very narrow theory, that fails to consider many facts around the forming of a union.] Thus, the pressure from a union would be to have more effective workers subsidize the less effective ones. In addition, unions keep new workers out. In practice, they also encourage poor work practices, lower standards for all workers and nepotism.