>>Do you think if i go to some non union outfit and say i'm a hell of a worker, give me 20 bucks an hour, a pension plan and health insurence they'll do it? I think they would laugh in my face.<<

...you also don't deserve (not you personaly) a pre-described right to walk onto a job site and demand what you want as explained above just because you hold a union card. Your potential employer doesn't know if you will do a superior job, an average job, a below average job that still fits within a union contract, or a substandard job that might take months or years to legally get you off the payroll because someone else is speaking for you as a union member. Prove yourself to be valuable to your employer first, then you can make realistic demands.

....in case you were wondering, I've been on both sides of worker/management. I set a record for raises (7 in two-and-a-half years) in a non-union factory before I started my own business. It didn't happen because I was giving part of my hard-earned money to someone that thought they could represent me better than I could.

Be the best that you can, and you'll never need a union. Be less than the best you can, and you might need a union.

Bob