My local formed a VOC about 6 months ago and we started visiting non-union job sites. One such visit showed the potential, but also showed the problem that still exists. They all looked at them, pointed to the gross pay, and commented on it. I explained to the guys that on a union job, everyone gets the same pay and benefits. We talked about the other benefits of belonging to the union.
Housing is almost totally non-union now, especially in the valley area.
The position of the union leadership is that if we would get one or two contractors to sign up, those contractors would go broke on short order, and the leadership is probably right about that. Then, the union contractors won't have the competition of contractors whose labor costs are so much lower. Its an idea that comes straight from the contractor, a way to try to hold on to our work without coming into conflict with the contractor. It cannot work, anymore than the pay cuts did. The very premise of a union is that through collective bargaining and an ongoing organization, we can raise our wages and conditions.