In my 40 years of engineering, I’ve worked with 1(one) competent union crew - a bunch of iron workers. Welders and plumbers were sloppy, shoddy, and inept. Electricians were the worst - unsafe, egotistic, lazy. No use for them at all.
Exact same observations! And I have been on both sides, working in the union and as Project Manager trying to get things accomplished through the union.
Working as union iron worker, they are good, maybe because screwing up will get them killed.