Courtesy of Robert Reich.org:
One big reason America was far more equal in the 1950s and 1960s than now is unions were stronger then. That gave workers bargaining power to get a fair share of the economy’s gains – and unions helped improve wages and working conditions for everyone.
But as union membership has weakened – from more than a third of all private-sector workers belonging unions in the 1950s to fewer than 7 percent today – the bargaining power of average workers has all but disappeared.
In fact, the decline of the American middle class mirrors almost exactly the decline of American labor union membership.
I think Professor Reich is one of my favorite sources for learning about politics and economics in this country.
And I am really jealous of his ability to illustrate his lessons while he speaks.
The conservatives in this country have been attempting to bust the unions since the first day workers organized in this country, it is shameful how successful they have been since Ronald Reagan set the standard back in the 1980's.
To me, the big unanswered question of the Reagan/Labor war was why, when Reagan first announced he was no longer going to recognize PATCO, didn't the heads of the AFL/CIO and other large unions stand behind PATCO instead of lying down and watching from the sidelines? They still had the power to shut down large swaths of the economy and tell Reagan to go fuck himself if he didn't reinstate PATCO, and instead they did nothing to stop Reagan's union-smashing campaign. So, I guess the question is the usual one in American politics: Who was bought off or blackmailed and by whom?
ReplyDeleteLove Robert Reich. And my Kentucky grandmother explained to me that unions are good back when I was seven years old. (She also told me to help others and always vote Democratic.)
ReplyDeleteWouldn't Robert Reich make an outstanding member of Bernie Sander's cabinet?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!! I'm a fan of Professor Reich. He's got a knack of conveying complex ideas while keeping people's attention.
DeleteAs a first generation child of immigrants, I can vouch for the important role labor unions have had to help lift people from poverty and grow the middle class. Both parents worked in sweatshops for the clothing industry. The unions ensured the right to bargain, the right to a safer working environment, things we take for granted like lunch and breaks. If it wasn't for the Union's credit union, my parents wouldn't have been able to afford the mortgage on their first house. If it wasn't for unions, our education would have suffered because had it not been for their help and earning scholarships, we wouldn't have gotten a higher education past high school. My dad passed away, and although the union no longer exists, they sent a decent amount in a check because he paid in and one of the percs was a promise of x amount for burial expenses. Mom gets a small check every month, just over a hundred dollars, and it's a reminder of the America she dreamed of coming to. She always says "They kept their promises and never forgot their union brothers and sisters". It doesn't sound like much, but union people built this country by protecting workers and ensuring a living wage.
ReplyDeleteUnions may be a necessary evil........emphasis on evil.......but that doesn't convince me they are necessary....
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