In some cases yes, in some cases no. The CAD draftsmen at one of the companies I worked at were in the UAW. The older guys made a boatload of money while the young guys barely made made more than minimum wage. On an open market the managers would have happily paid the young guys 2-3x as much for their work, but that wasn't an option.

OH&S wasn't all that important since we're talking about a desk job.