Labor won the right to organize and sit at a collective bargaining table to fight for a level playing field for their workers.  As much as wrong-wingers and the Republican Party platform would like to demonize organized labor and the collective bargaining process, the wrong-wingers tend to no care how elected officials or private employers make their money, retirement, and bennies.  Elected officials get their bloated salaries, retirement, Cadillac healthcare, and other bennies from the same exact place labor unions  get their income, retirement, and other bennies.  The only difference between the two is that organized labor has to sit at a labor/management table and bargain a  contract while elected officials just go to their mailbox and pick up their automatic issued paycheck.  Elected officials rarely take a cut; that's why most salaries are six figures.