The hijack is complete...
Thanks Dr McDonald for the post and passionate clarification. I should have mentioned how old your post was.
The Catch-22 we face is it takes money to organize but we cannot organize as none of us think we have enough money to merit the return.
I promote unionization but watch as many will throw up their hands over the evils of unions. I see them as a way to require education of what is now a trade. We can call it a Guild if we want.
An Apprentice is just that ($15-$25 hr.). To become a Journeyman ($25-$35 hr) you must know Prentice Rule etc.. A Master Optician ($40 hr. and up) is a minimum associate's degree or higher level of education.
Money taken from the unionized higher paid Opticians paycheck funds the lobbyists required to pay politicians and unionize chains because that's where the game is played right now.