My employer recently became unionized and ratified our first contract.
Personally, I like it. Not because I thought management was abusing us, or setting unreasonably low pay, or anything like that, but because it's now crystal clear what everyone expects of each other. It puts into writing many of the things that used to be, "Uhh, yeah, that's the way it's always been done." It formalizes the relationship between pilots and management.
I see it as a "good fences make good neighbors" situation. The larger a company gets, the more it needs this formality.
I'd also like to point out that unionized carriers are only as good as their management and unions make them, together. If management are a bunch of greedy, incompetent losers, the company will suck. If the union is always screaming "More, more, more!" no matter how much management gives them, the company will suck.
If management actually respects their workforce and tries to treat them well, while the pilot group works hard and has realistic expectations, then the company is going to be a solid place, no matter if a union is in place or not. That's what I see happening at my operator.
What cracks me up is when I'm jumpseating somewhere, riding up front, and the pilots start whining about this or that with the union at their carrier...how it's the union's fault if they don't have good pay or QOL. They act like the union is supposed to hand them their career on a silver platter. I say, newsflash: If you aren't happy with your job, quit. Union or not, you showed up to work. Unions can't fix stupid. If I ever feel taken advantage of, I'm not going to wait for a union to do something. I'm going to walk.