Union membership in the U.S. hit a record low of 10.1% in 2022, but my own plant just voted to organize after a decade of stalled wages. Does collective bargaining still deliver measurable gains when automation is shrinking the workforce, or is it becoming a ritual that protects the few at the expense of the many? I'm skeptical because my union dues are rising, yet our contract just froze shift differentials for new hires—that feels like a race to the bottom, not solidarity.