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Malorn, you say you don't think in black and whites, yet every topic you show you do think in absolutes and almost nothing but absolutes. Still, glad you see there's actual relevancy. The need for unions differs per region though, in well-fare states the need for unions (also from a worker pov) has degraded severely over time. So much that some are struggling to get members. That's a good thing as it indicates the system is healthy.

The easier it is for unions to acquire new members, the harsher the working conditions.

China? India? Could definitely use more union influence.

EDIT: In the case of your wife, if she had been layed off in some states in the US, her pay would have dropped to 0 within a day. This has lead to disastrous situations for a lot of US citizens, since they cannot pay their bills in an event like that. Especially not since pay wasn't that great to safe up a lot of money in the first place.

Look at how many people had to take multiple jobs, leaving no time for family and hence have a very stressful existence. That doesn't create a healthy society if it is completely dependend on good times.

If a company has to take into account lay offs well ahead, they plan and think ahead and they simply keep lay-offs in mind in their budget. If there's a transfer period, the household situation is more stable as there's time to find a new job or even to create your own initiative while you still have a bit of income left, change to a lower cost living, etc. It is not healthy to go from one extreme (full pay) to the other (no pay) at all. This leads to instant need of a new money source, meaning debts are almost unavoidable.

Does it cost money? Yes. Does it cost society more if people go into debt, lose their house and can't find a new job in time? Good question, not?

On the other hand, it can be too hard to fire someone. In which case they can become nothing but a drain of resources. There should always be a healthy balance. But tipping the scales too far either way in the end can cause severe problems in a crisis.