I would think that in well run ethical companies the relationship with unions would also be harmonious. That’s at least how it works in Germany with unions like IG Metall. Seems to me that problems mostly arise when management becomes unreasonable.
Mentioned this before, but I would posit that US law essentially requires a minimally effective union to have an adversarial relationship with the company. Every member has to get equal protection, and unfortunately, not every member deserves it. (Not a knock on unions — every large organization has its share of lackwits)
Who was first doesn't change the fact that unions are sometimes unreasonable.
Though I have to say most companies I've seen with evil unions have management that deserves the worst a union can do. I've seen cases of good management with bad unions harming everybody (except the union leaders), but they are generally rare.
