Not all jobs were exported due to unions, but the unions were the main cuilprit. I recall very well a couple of the major job producers in my state 3-4 decades ago..
1) Bethlehem Steel; I knew people who were employees of Bethlehem Steel who boasted that they did almost nothing all during their shift..maybe flip a couple switches, then play cards, read a book and have the oncoming shift wake them up. The union shamefully, protected them in this. Perhaps if each employee had done a full days work, there may have been 15,000 employees rather than 22,000...but they would probably still be working...here in the US.
2) Then there was Trico..the windshield wiper people. It was back in the 70s or 80s..I can't recall the actual figures, but union employees there were making on the average, let's say $13.50 per hour plus bennies, when they jumped up and demanded $22.00. After much haggeling, the union would not give up it's demands. In all sincerity, Trico management said: "We can go to $15.50 ... if you can accept that.. otherwise, we will have to close the doors".
The union rejected the offer..the doors were closed next morning, and are still closed today; and Trico is being manufactured elsewhere.
Intransigence can be fatal; ..remember the air traffic controllers..PATCO ? Somebody should have learned from that experience !
GRIM:
Next time show the union thugs a curve. Register as an independent and let them guess..but never let them know. ..And they should never know, unless they get the "card check" thing passed into law..