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I’m guessing “this” is the ability to collectively bargain if conditions aren’t good or, in this case, if you don’t have the ability to collectively bargain.

That’s what I thought but then I don’t get it in the context of the parent. Their teammates are spoiled because they’re not bargaining, to what end? Needs more context I think.

I would expect this to be some justification or benefit present in the article.

Unions are like sysadmins - if they are doing their job well, it looks like they're not necessary at all :)

They are like the large looking bouncer at the door of a club, who make patrons (businesses) behave themselves. So GP's coworkers are spoiled because the bouncer has been doing a pretty good job and seems unnecessary.

The context is that their teammates' working conditions are so good (as a result of union participation in collective bargaining) that they've become spoiled & forgotten how it got that way to begin with.

Mostly because they are too young and don't know better. There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears spilled before we got to this stage.

This.

Being spoiled.