One obstacle to enlightened evolution of the organized labor movement, at least in the United States, is that social interest group leaders - and labor leaders in particular - justify their own existence (and large salaries) through the prolongation of intense and highly visible conflict. When everyone is getting along swimmingly in a workplace, it isn't obvious why the workers are paying $500-1000 every year for union representation from a gang of tattoo-ed, potty-mouthed ex-Teamsters. Thus, it's easy to understand why unions are in the habit of "drumming up" controversy during amiable periods by engaging in yelling-matches, pickets, grievance-mongering, and incendiary e-mail blasts to convince their members they're fighting the good fight on their behalf against the Great Satan of management. I work for some of the nicest, most reasonable people in management I've ever met, and our union spews venom at them constantly on the basis that they are supposedly racist, classist, sexist, or what have you, none of which is even remotely accurate. Since union membership is voluntary here, most of their members have fled (thank goodness I don't have to pay those people), but they still have their hardcore members from the good old days who share a cult-like devotion to their antagonist status. I'm reminded of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy game, where if your character dies, you can begin climbing up a new class tree from the depths of the underworld. So it is with the union in my workplace - once a worker is blackballed due to gross incompetence or unprofessional behavior, they start over and advance up the union ladder by becoming the the most vicious hellraiser they can. Law firms have unions??? Or do you work in the legal department of a company. Not to worry, they will soon be all gone. They do sound kind of colourful though, light relief as it were.