There’s plenty of evidence that bad union leadership can drive down the competitiveness of a company and drive up the cost of products for consumers. Some great examples can be found from the United Food and Commercial Workers union’s own online product shop. Check out these great buys:

• Forget paying $0.99 at Apple’s iTunes store — you can pay $3.30 per song at the UFCW shop;
• A shiny new ringtone would cost you less than $2 most places, but the UFCW wants $3.30 to jingle in its pocket;
• In case you’re apt to forget the union-boss price differences, consider an “awareness bracelet” coming in at a cool $175.00;
• And for the purchase price of $0.23 you can be the proud owner of a “Vote UFCW Yes” button (though the true cost of membership can be much higher).