Unions are anti-free market. They are monopoly cartels protected by the federal government. If people who sell peanut butter joined together to sell their products at a higher price, the DOJ would bust them up. If people who sell labor join together to do the same type of rent seeking, congress sets up the NLRB to protect them.
They can however be replaced, in which case the company doesn't need to rehire the striking workers. Potato/potato.
That's not true if the company is in violation of an existing contract though, then the company is breaking the law and must rehire everyone, but I'll reiterate: they're breaking the law to begin with.
Unions are an aspect of a free market. They're an organization of individuals with a common goal in exactly the same way corporations are.