Unions -- an argument against

It seems fairly obvious to anyone who has read any of American and for that matter European history, that unions played a vital role in righting some of the early excesses at the beginning of the industrial revolution.  Early on there were many abuses of the common worker, just as appears to be case in China today.  Unions forced reforms and helped make the workplace safer and ultimately more productive.  Over time the reforms were codified into laws and the need for unions evaporated.  But unions did not evaporate but rather morphed into a special interest like any other special interest and went on about raising the cost of products and services with more and more demands on capital.  As John Hawkins points out int his article, eventually unions destroy whatever industry they successfully come to dominate, witness the demise of the textile, auto, and steel industries in the US alone.  They are now in the process of destroying the public school system and government services across the board.  Hawkins is right.  Unions in general, and particularly unions in the public service industries, have got to go and the sooner the better.  Otherwise in short order there will no longer be any taxpayers willing and able to pay for their outsized salaries and benefits.