Addendum:

My one (older) (Chinese) colleague really gets the political logic of unions.

Once I explained to her what they were in terms of legal privileges, she saw immediately how they would work as a tool...

"Very powerful," she was like.

She had been a financial reporter back in mainland China, though has now lived in the U.S. for years.

I wonder if her being raised under a repressive government means she keys in the major dynamics of political systems more quickly.

She's also a fascinating person...  She had given me that little red ornament last Chinese New Year's, and has a lot of thoughts about how modern cultures don't value teachers enough, about which there are long-standing, healthy traditions in China, she thinks.

It really floors me what a diverse, interesting, thoughtful group of colleagues I have, and I've never really spoken with them as much as I should have.