My understanding is that they're workers in the same way managers and soldiers are workers. Their interests can align with other workers under special circumstances, but under pre-revolutionary conditions their interests are perfectly aligned with the ruling class. They're conscious of their own material interests, which usually exist in contradiction with the interests of the rest of the working class. Managers and soldiers and cops don't union bust because they lack class consciousness, they do it because that's what they're paid to do.

Hence the rule: "Always pay your guys. If you stop paying your guys, they're no longer your guys."