? In today's Washington Post — What happens if America loses its unions(by Harold Meyerson) — What would America look like without a union movement? That's not a hard question to answer, because we’re almost at that point. The rate of private-sector unionization has fallen below 7%, from a post-World War II high of roughly 40%. Already, the economic effects of a union-free America are glaringly apparent: an economically stagnant or downwardly mobile middle class, a steady clawing-back of job-related health and retirement benefits and ever-rising economic inequality. Understandably, some liberals are searching for ways to arrest the economic decline of the majority of their fellow Americans in a post-union environment. I fear they're bound to be frustrated. If workers can't bargain with their employers, it can't be done. If and when Big Labor dies -- it's on life support now -- America's big middle class dies with it.
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 9 a.m. These links are functional at the date of posting, but sometimes expire.