Virginia

... lot of protection for the operator.

When I was a kid I worked construction for my uncle. Driving a steer (dumping gravel down around foundations), I was told if a business agent for the operators' or laborers' union showed up and asked me for my card I was to tell him I was a member of the union he didn't represent.

One day a guy showed up and asked for my card. I asked who he represented. He said "operators", I said "laborer".

He said, "Listen you little son of a bitch, you'd better be down at the hall tomorrow morning at 7:00am!"

Told my uncle and I believe a hundred bucks changed hands.

A couple of years later I joined my first union and been pro-union ever since.