Why Unions Are Good For America

 Nicholas Kristof makes a compelling case for the proposition that unions have been the driving force in lifting the economic standards of American workers, both union and nonunion. He acknowledges that unions helped to equalize somewhat the sharing of the national pie by those at the bottom of the economic ladder, including Black workers, and won benefits like health care and vacations, benefits essential to human contentment. Mr. Kristof rightly condemns union busting by courts and legislators which deprived workers of a path to the middle class and contributed to the decline in union membership. This has led to despair, addiction, and family crises.

Unfortunately, Mr. Kristof fails to mention the most egregious consequence of disappearing unions. When the working class feels unfairly treated and robbed of its dignity and has lost the power to redress its grievances by collective bargaining and striking, history teaches that the resort is to violent revolution or support for tyranny. We are currently witnessing just such a turn; the blue-collar class has been persuaded by a would-be tyrant that he alone can address its concerns and even the playing field. While other factors, including an underlying racism, contribute to this phenomenon, the decline of unions is a major cause.