I definitely read it in more of a bit of a proud tone; "even if they tried to mess with my lunch break, union's got me covered" or so. That's probably where we diverged.

As for their first quote, well, I just figured that even if you're in a union job, it's still possible to not enjoy the job -- I'm not about to find fault in someone coveting the small moments of fun they get in their workday. (As an aside, even if a company is legally required to recognize a union, I figure "be respected" isn't really more likely post-unionization than it is beforehand, at least at most companies.)

Hope this helps