The idea that the United States is somehow singularly affected by union issues is a bit off. South Korea, France, and many other developed countries have far more militant unions than those in America. It was big news in South Korea when the major auto manufacturers managed to secure a deal with the unions that gave them a year (2010) with no strikes. 2011 is almost guaranteed to revert to the norm of highly disruptive strikes.

Japan and Germany have unusually cooperative relationships between management, unions, and government when it comes to manufacturing and export policy. I believe it is mostly due to a higher tendency towards collectivism in their respective cultures versus the United States.