Most US unions WILL NOT ACCEPT board seats or enter into any amity based relationship. I think it comes from the past history. Germans also get comprehensive health and other benefits and they allow management to kick out drunks and addicts instead of treating them as ill people who need remediation by health clinics - who kick back $ to patients. Many places have moved to places where workers have the right to join or not. That is why western New York state is a wasteland. Uneducated employees from bad schools with untion teachers etc etc.