Interesting idea, page-29

"But aside from the big bucks, the unions pushed for more!"

You are trying to blame the unions, when the mining companies where happy to give worker what they wanted just to keep them and attract more. All the tradies where employed so the mining companies where poaching workers off each other.

It flowed onto unskilled labor, I recall in Perth many shops and business with workers wanted signs up. Hardly ever see that