Does that not meet the same end? By strengthening their position they can barter for better benefits for you. Even if those benefits aren't precisely the ones you want, that doesn't negate the fact that they are on your collective side.

On the other hand, the employer wants none of that because they want as much power over employees as they can muster.

How does that make them as worse as each other?

It's somewhat ironic that it seems like a lot of people in this thread are basing their talking points on unions off the anti-union propaganda at hand rather than personal experience or evidence.