You are absolutely right on the money with regard to the autoworkers and the SEIU service trades. Overpaid and rife with political corruption.
But, like Dargo points out, you are way off in your assessment of the building "trade" unions. I somewhat question your authority to speak on the subject.
The master electrician you speak of would learned by his own ambition and would have long ago fled to a merit (open) shop contractor where he now has a company truck and a bonus.
The union contractor, particularly on a prevailing wage job, adds at least 15% to the cost of the labor potion of an estimate due to the inefficiencies of work rules and workman productivity. The lower tech work (general labor and rough carpentry) are the weeding out grounds for those that can truly make it in construction from those that need a softer field of work. And when have you ever heard of a union cabinet maker?
The work rules of the ironworkers, glaziers, millwrights and pipefitters is an expensive circus to behold, waiting for just the right jurisdiction over the work ... and in most cases an efficient composite crew is prohibited. Add break times, tool bin runs and travel time, the cost of work in the larger cities can almost double. Probably the only man bringing anything to the table is a good elevator mechanic.
No, give me an right-to-work state any day. Give me an able open shop man with ambition and that has learned his lesson with union BS and I'll pay him well, treat him like a valued employee and help him grow.
Been there. Done that.
Building and fire inspector. 1974 to 1977 and again in 1986 to 1990.
Also projecgt manager for the construction of five factory buildings and the reconstruction of two post fire damage printing and packaging plants.
And when I wasn't employed, I made a living flipping houses.
Lowly credentials prhaps, but I worked the construction bussiness , in the trenches so to speak, from many sides.
While unions have lost there luster, I cannot agree that we must go either with, or without them. I just isn't that simple.
There are folks who will rip you off whether thay have a union cad or not. But when you see a developer build houses without unionlaobr,the number of code violations increases expotentialy. Not just corner cutting but out right negliigent practices. From studs not on center to insuffecient support. Two few fasteners and non complaiant materials.
Electricins who ignore grounding or can't tell black from white . Cicuts to bathrooms without GFI's or sometimes two GFI's on the same line.
Not to mention insufficient gauge wire.
The trades can make a project hell or easy, depending often on the General contractor's approach to them. I always found that respect goes a long way and if you know their art, they cannot BS you about it. If you extend a little respect for what they bring to the table, you willl usually get things done without much hassle.
When the building inspector and the trades find out they can tag team a general, his life is hell.
I was lucky in that I did not have to work in areas like NY city or even downtown Chicago where corruption is kinda expected and your project can be extorted. But in my humble experiences here in the real Heartland, things were easier using trade union folks who knew the stuff, and their place.
I still insist, my hat goes off to those who got an education before expecting a higher paycheck.. That is true whether thay are a tradesman, a teacher, an engineer, or an administrator. And for that, They get some respect.
But respect evaproates easily when a union rep shows up with a Bull Shit grievence. Happens far less often in right to work states, so on that we agree.
Unions should "compete" for their existance, without the blank madate often given by the government.