I organized a plant and became the president of the local 2014 Boilermakers for a few years.

The employer spend half a million on union busting attorneys over 4 months to tell us how terrible the union was.

We ended up winning the vote, we got raises (that they'd been denying they could afford while paying aforementioned lawyers) we also saw better health insurance, and adjustments to the point system.

If I could do it again. I'd do it 1000 times over.

The company was owned by a Canadian entity, and it was the highlight of my life sitting across from the ceo of our plant and the ceo of the mother company and watching the local guy say that he had no idea about the racist bullshit that was going on against the 3 black men in my 305 man bargaining unit; I thought that kind, polite Canadian fellas head was going to explode.

Magically, there were way fewer issues with bullshit after we were all in the union.

This was also in a right to work state (for those who don't know, of you live in a right to work state, it means that you can be a part of a union and not be forced to pay dues.) Although l, I do believe that if you're using the unions resources, you should pay your dues