I think that there's a lot of misconceptions about trade unions in the workplace so here's my attempt to deal with a few of them.
Myth: Trade unions are slippery slope to communism.
Fact: Trade unions are illegal in Communist China but legal in capitalist South Korea, Europe and the US.
Myth: Trade Unions cause the company to decline and decay.
Fact: Many successful companies have trade unions, Tesco, the leading retailer in the UK, is heavily unionized and retains the top position despite competition from Walmart. Other successful companies such as Samsung, Audi and BMW have trade union representation.
Myth: Companies like Apple and Starbucks are broke, they can't afford to pay their staff more
Fact: These companies are very wealthy and can easily pay their staff more.
Myth: If they could pay more, they would.
Fact: These companies are set to maximize shareholder wealth, not staff satisfaction. That's why they prioritize share buybacks over pay.
Myth: If I have a problem at work, just go to HR
Fact: HR represents the company, they are not on your side. Some might be fairer than others but when push comes to shove, they won't have your back.
Myth: Trade unions might work in Germany and South Korea but they went far too far in the US and UK in the 1970's.
Fact: Well OK, that's not really a myth, they did, but as a union member you get to elect a representative that works with the company for everyone's benefit.
Yes that's right, you actually get to choose what happens at work! Most employees and even middle managers are so used to being told what to do they have forgotten that they actually can make a real difference.