Once upon a time, back when America had a strong middle class, it also had a strong union movement.

These two facts were connected. Unions negotiated good wages and benefits for their workers, gains that often ended up being matched even by nonunion employers. They also provided an important counterbalance to the political influence of corporations and the economic elite...

It’s often assumed that the U.S. labor movement died a natural death, that it was made obsolete by globalization and technological change. But what really happened is that beginning in the 1970s, corporate America, which had previously had a largely cooperative relationship with unions, in effect declared war on organized labor.

I have no doubt there is a lot of truth to what Mr. Krugman says, but from my point of view, as someone who worked in places with labor unions and lived thought their high point of influence, there are other reasons for the current state of labor unions in America, among them: the close connection between many labor unions and organized crime, and the strict enforcement of rules at the work place that made working at these places a heaven for lazy people.

Don't get me wrong: I think labor unions have, and should continue, to play a major role in American life, but we need to learn from what they did wrong and make adjustments before we expect them to return to prominence.

Permalink| Posted @ 12:28 PM |