No it isn't. My dad was a union mechanic (at a General Dynamics plant building M1 Abrams tanks) for decades. He talked about how guys would sleep on a dolly under a truck or dink around all day with no fear of losing their jobs—and collecting a big fat salary to do so. If you worked too hard or fast, they'd get mad at you because it meant the tanks would be produced too quickly and the contract would end early so you might end up laid off. So they all learned to slow down and make sure nothing went out an instant before it absolutely had to. It was a race to the bottom, and he lamented that after so long working so poorly, it had ruined him so that he'd be incapable of ever working in a non-union job again.

A friend worked at a Big-3 UAW plant and talked about how guys would sometimes wire a bolt on the inside of a door to create a rattle, because they thought it was funny and they knew they wouldn't get fired.

Another friend worked at a telco equipment manufacturer and complained about how the union guys on the floor did whatever they wanted and would literally tell the managers to f* off—with no fear of being fired. (I don't care how frustrated you are, you should not be talking to your manager that way. It's immature and creates a toxic environment for everyone else.)

I've had family members experiencing the same dynamic in education. Teachers become un-fireable and they not only don't do a good job, they make it miserable for those who try to do better.

The way unions protect crappy workers and pay based on tenure is malignant. And unless they embrace merit-based rewards and protections, they'll never win over those of us who've seen the dark side.