[BlackSTX]

I guess you have many concerns that must be answered. I'm very mixed on unions, as I and many of my family members have been in and out of them and not all have had very good experiences with them. Much of this may be do to the corruption within our area, maybe not.

Knowing the economy isn't looking too promising for some time to come, I guess you really need to consider how loyal this guy will be to you if you stay with him, and how much work does he have lined up?
Yes, I'm sure if you drop out of the union you'll probably be screwed..... How will you be received if you try to go back?
None of this seems to make for an easy decision; just don't make a choice to quickly. Take the time and make a pro's vs. con's list, and do what you're doing here; get a multitude of input. Someone may have had to make this same choice and have some experiences to share that makes the choice clearer.

Best of luck in your decision.