The Cato Journal’s January 2010 issue addresses the question, “Are unions good for America?” The articles provide hard-hitting analysis, exposing some of the myths behind labor unions that practically everyone believes. The Homeland Stupidity web site provides a synopsis of each myth, with a link to each of the 12 Cato articles. For the next 12 issues we’d like to quote the synopsis, and suggest you take a look at the full article for yourself (each one is plus-or-minus 20 pages or so).
Myth Number One: Unions work to ensure a level playing field for employees. Fact: Unions advocate for laws which tilt the playing field in ways that are unfair to both employers and employees. Those laws often impair economic growth and innovation, as well as destroy the freedom to contract, according to Randall G. Holcombe and James D. Gwartney, economics professors at Florida State University. Over time, these labor laws actually cause a shift in employment from union jobs to nonunion jobs. In fact, research shows that the growth of labor unions during the Great Depression actually increased unemployment. Unions are still destroying jobs today.
Download the PDF here. Check out the Cato Journal and access all 12 PDFs here.
