[Fred Douglass]

......that GMC was essentially a HUGE "retirement plan" which produced autos as a loss leader (or sumpin' like that)!

I worked as a pubic hah skew teechur for 31 years and it was a closed shop. So-o-o-o-o for years, I refused to join, negotiated my own contract (backed by the Poples' Republic of Massachusetts Fair Labor Practices legislation, etc.). I actually cleared (netted) more after retirement and medical taxes, etc., but was getting scra-rewed on such benefits as block negotiated incremental raises, etc. I finally was informed that I was also being left out of any union-negotiated retirement arrangements. They (the union) had gotten the "Rule of 90" to the "Rule of 80" dropped----both formats being based on a) chronological age, plus b) years served in the trenches. It was the nation-wide early retirement fad brought into the edjicayshun game.....

Seeing that I was being left out, I said "FDS!" took my armed service credits (3 years active, 5 years reserves) negotiated with the retirement board and hit the silk at age 57!!!!
Gawd bless the Navy! It made me deafer'n a haddock, but gave me 5 years of freedom from serfdom!

Yippa daing.

Lots can be said about the design and intentions of unions----but lots of bad can be said about their operations and results.....