Unions make everything cost more because the wages and other compensation they provide their employees are almost never commensurate with knowledge, skill, and/or work etthic. The driving factor for just about everything is, 'how long have you worked here' and not 'do you work hard' or 'are you competent at your job.'

I lost count long ago of the stories that consistenly come up where unions themselves contract with private companies to keep their own costs down (such as when building a new union hall or union building).

I always get a good chuckle every time I hear some union officer giving a speech about how they keep costs down. The emporor has no clothes at its finest.