This lack of trust in "management" and politicizing working to a damaging extent might be the biggest reasons why manufacturing will never come back to America.
But that's harping on the past. No, I'm talking about my own personal experience as a software engineer.
I've seen managers get big bonuses for denying their workers vacation time. I've seen employees get "disciplined and fired" for minor infractions, that I'm certain had NOTHING to do with their medical conditions that were driving up the costs of the company's medical plan (that would be illegal!)
And more, I don't even NEED the evidence I've presented. I'm drawing the cost-benefit analysis in raw terms. And I'm saying SOME managers play that analysis in ways that hurt workers, and think those costs (of hurting employees, employee morale, reputation of the company) will be short-term, and are worth the short-term benefits.
This blind faith that managers will always do right by their employees ignores the facts. Some managers don't. And workers need to protect themselves from those few who are dangerously abusive.