"They're Bankrupting Us!"

Introduction
What Is a Union?
Myth 1. “Workers are forced to join unions, right?”
Myth 2. “Unions are bankrupting us and destroying the economy.”
Myth 3. “Unions are actually run by ‘labor bosses,’ aren’t they?”
Myth 4. “Public sector unions cause budget deficits, right?”
Myth 5. “Unions make unreasonable demands that result in lots of strikes!”
Myth 6. “Unions were good once, but we don’t need them any longer.”
Myth 7. “Unions are only needed by workers who have problems and get into trouble.”
Myth 8. “The union uses our money for political action and I have no say in the matter!”
Myth 9. “Unions hold me back from advancing, and if I join I will never be promoted.”
Myth 10. “Unions are corrupt and mobbed up!”
Myth 11. “Unions have a checkered history and were started by communists and other troublemakers.”
Myth 12. “Unions are all racist and people of color need not apply.”
Myth 13. “Unions have a history of sexism . . . what makes them better now?”
Myth 14. “Unions deal with wages, hours, and working conditions; what about other issues?”
Myth 15. “Yes, unions are good for their members, but they hurt the rest of us!”
Myth 16. “Unions and corporations are both too big and don’t really care about the worker.”
Myth 17. “Let’s face it, in a globalized world, unions are powerless.”
Myth 18. “Where do unions stand on immigrants—you either ignore them or you ignore the rest of us?”
Myth 19. “If unions are so good, why aren’t they growing?”
Myth 20. “Unions are so partisan; they always side with the Democrats, right?”
Myth 21. “If unions are so great, why aren’t more people around the world forming them?”
Concluding Thoughts
Acknowledgments
Notes