Republicans will try to tell you that unions are evil -- that they are anti-capitalist and anti-democratic. That is hogwash. Unions are the only way any worker can be protected from the greed and unfairness of employers, especially corporations. Labor is the only thing most people have to sell, and unions make sure they are fairly rewarded for that labor. They also make sure workers have a safe work environment, and are treated fairly by those who supervise them.
But there is another value of unions -- a value to the society and economy at large. As the charts above illustrate, unions created a vibrant and growing middle class in this country -- and in doing so reduced the inequality inherent in a capitalist system.
Unfortunately, the Republicans have demonized and done everything they can to destroy the union movement in the United States -- and they have been pretty successful in that effort. And because of that, worker wages are falling, the middle class is shrinking, and the vast inequality gap between the rich and the rest of America is larger than ever before (and continues to grow).
This can be reversed, but only by strengthening the union movement. But it won't happen as long as the Republicans retain the power to veto anything but what is good for their corporate and Wall Street masters. They must be voted out of power, so we can return to a sane and fair economic policy.
There is some hope that could happen in November. There is a strong anti-incumbent mood in the country -- a mood that could flip control of the House of Representatives (where the GOP has a strong majority.
And for the third week in a row, the Rasmussen Poll (done May 19th through 25th of 3,500 likely voters, with a 2 point margin of error) shows the Democrats have a lead in the generic congressional ballot (see chart below). We can vote the Republicans out of power, and return this nation to a better and smarter economic policy -- but only if we work hard and get a large turnout to the polls in November.
