Are Some Unions Killing America's Economy?

I know the big three American car companies management is shit, pardon the French, unfocused and without innovation or the ability to be agile in response to changing conditions. But are the unions also partly to blame with their demands for huge salaries, benefit and retirement packages?

Consider the south and their auto manufacturing plants. They're foreign car companies making cars in America. Like Hundai. They were lured to states like Alabama, by tax incentives offered by local communities. They are non union plants largely using temp companies to hire employees. The temp companies then pay the benefits like health insurance. The workers are happy and thankful to have jobs.

There are no unions demanding unrealistic benefit packages and protecting unproductive or bad employees. The plants are modern and flexible, able to convert easily to changes in market demand.

I'm throwing this out and I know it's a hot button issue. Are unions destroying the American economy?

Who doesn't know a government worker who barely works or who is always taking time off, paid, for reasons unapparent to the naked eye. I knew such a worker at OSU, who took a week off almost every month and never got fired. I could not believe how that person got away with it.

I also know government workers who do way more than their share of work, doing routine unpaid overtime and who do their jobs with excellence. So I don't know about public employee unions and what they do to bring down or make better the lives or Oregon citizens, especially those of the taxpayer, paying their salaries.

I saw something on the news tonight, is why I ask this question, comparing the big three auto makers and the non union foreign auto plants of the south. The difference is night and day.

Click post title to go to wages page of the auto workers union site. This gives basic wage, per regular hour, not including overtime or any benefits. Average low level blue collar no skilled labor job--$25.63 per hour.

Then there is THIS which is sort of funny, in a way.