I ' m all in for public education when it ' s handled at the most local level . And having been a member of two unions , I ' m for collective bargaining . My experience has been that unions are not the problem . Management is not the problem . Union leadership can be a big problem because it can force its will on members . Most union members just want a decent job with benefits . They care little for union politics . Collusion between management and union leadership can also be a problem because leaders end up working only for their own benefit . It ' s complicated and imperfect , but I have no qualms about letting someone negotiate a contract on my behalf as long as the negotiations are transparent and as long as I have a say in whether the contract is approved .