Unfortunately, the unions have ended up being their own worst enemy. In the early days, there may have been justification for the unions. However, as time went on, the union power and greed took over the auto manufacturers. For years, the unions were the tail that wagged the dog. Here we are today with jobs being lost and the Big Three in deep trouble. The legacy of the unions now is the reason why where we are seeing the troubles today. Domestic vehicle prices are proported to be at least $2000 more than their foreign competitors because the cost input added for the cost of union related expenses of the auto manufacturers. Not all of the blame for the current state of the Big Three can be placed at the feet of the unions, however a large percentage can be.
I stumbled upon an article that sums a lot of the ills up and basically says that the average union person is not to blame because they knew no better.
http://www.mises.org/story/2124
However, being a sheep is no excuse in my opinion. You need to have some awareness and accountability for your actions. Where this all will go, who knows. Regardless, it means we will all pay for it in some way...either through increased Big Three vehicle prices or through the US government bailing out the pension plans for the unions.