I do agree the UAW has went way overboard but I also know what it is to work in a hot factory 12 hours a day too. I did it for 12 years at one place and have been at my current job 5. The first place had a Union(not a big one like UAW)but it was an open shop. They did what I feel Unions should do and that was they kept things fair.....without a Union the company can just change and make up policy as they go...there is nothing to hold them to their end of the bargain,so to speak..change wages whenever they want, move you to a different shift, etc..Now with that said, I do not think that non union shops necessarily would do that...but they could if they wanted to. The place I am at now is smaller and is NON UNION and I have to say they DO treat the people better than the other,larger Union Shop did. But I am involved in management as well as floor work and I see things that are not exactly "fair" especially regarding pay scale.Some are paid more than people who actually have more knowledge than they do...some get away with things that others get written up for..it all depends on the supervisor.That type of thing doesn't happen in a Union shop. To me that is what the Union's job is...it is just a shame that some of them have gotten to the point that they think their job is to get every dime they can for the workers without considering the impact it has on the company as a whole.I think Unions are a good thing...I also think they are a huge problem at the same time,if that makes sense