The fact that police unions, or teachers unions, or pilots unions advocate for and defend their members shouldn't be a surprise. Everyone should be entitled to vigorous advocacy. The problem lies with who is vigorously advocating for the public and should they have better tools to do so. This is ultimately either an agency rule making issue, or legislative one.

Sure, everyone says "has to be this way" when the corpos do it, but if a Union does it it is suddenly evil instead of prudent.