> Why would the company care if they do join a union?
The fundamental goal of a union is to force executives at a company to do things that benefit workers that they wouldn't otherwise do.
> Can't they simply refuse to negotiate with the union?
If the union has a small enough fraction of their employee base as members such that they company can afford the productivity loss of a strike, yes. Once a large enough fraction of workers are in the union, the threat of a strike puts enough pressure on executives that it is in their best interest to negotiate.
The fundamental goal of a union is to force executives at a company to do things that benefit workers that they wouldn't otherwise do.
> Can't they simply refuse to negotiate with the union?
If the union has a small enough fraction of their employee base as members such that they company can afford the productivity loss of a strike, yes. Once a large enough fraction of workers are in the union, the threat of a strike puts enough pressure on executives that it is in their best interest to negotiate.