It's you who don't understand how unions work - you don't choose your managers. You choose your union reps. Your managers are strictly interested in the good of the business, at any cost to you (structurally - individual managers may care about their employees, but that is a weakness in the organization) - the union represents your interests, at least to the extent that a democratic process can achieve that.
The union is there to equalize this relationship. Developers have to deal with a bunch of things they don't want other than live life in peace and code either way. With a union, they have some say in what that something is. Without a union, it's entirely up to the shareholders and pointy haired managers.
Now, if you're in a position where you are 100% critical to the business, than sure, the union may actually reduce your personal negotiation power. But the vast majority of programmers have more or less 0 negotiating power without a union. They take what is offered or leave, regardless of how much they enjoy their work or co-workers.
Managers are typically excluded from being members of a worker's union. Also, the role of a union rep is very different from the role of a manager.
> And said extra managers are strictly interested in the good of the union.
Since they are democratically elected, they are interested in the good of their constituents. If you don't think your union rep has your best interests at heart, you can choose another one at the next election. If you don't like your manager, you can quit.
> they are interested in the good of their constituents.
Supposedly that's the case for politicians as well, and we all know how well that works out.
Also I think you misunderstood my previous comment. I was referring to the union people as "managers" in quotes. As they're create an extra layer of go-between between us and the managers.
The union is there to equalize this relationship. Developers have to deal with a bunch of things they don't want other than live life in peace and code either way. With a union, they have some say in what that something is. Without a union, it's entirely up to the shareholders and pointy haired managers.
Now, if you're in a position where you are 100% critical to the business, than sure, the union may actually reduce your personal negotiation power. But the vast majority of programmers have more or less 0 negotiating power without a union. They take what is offered or leave, regardless of how much they enjoy their work or co-workers.