Unions
Unions in this country have had a checked past and now an undervalued future. In the 20's & 30's the union movement was one of violence by organizers, against organizers by business thugs and organized crime involvement. Organized crime involvement increased after WWII and strengthen its ties to organized labor. In the 50's & 60's American post war prosperity created ever increasing jobs and middle class wealth. Unions helped this process through collective bargaining. This increased wages, and benefits helping to propel blue collar workers into the middle class. Unfortunately, union leadership did not do what business leaders of successful companies do over time - they did not plan for the future. Instead they continued the continued the wage and benefit model to the point that it drove up cost to consumers, requiring close union shops in major cities (NYC, Chicago, etc). With technology change in the 80's & 90's union membership began to decrease and became less valuable. The parasitic 'wage & benefit' negotiating strategy destroyed their 'host' employers (both private companies & public governments). If they had leadership who could have built business plans to anticipate the impact technology would have on their membership, they could still be providing value to American workers and businesses. Instead, they are now only a left wing political group, forcing unions dues to be paid by non-members and using same for political benefits. With almost no value remaining for the country, they have declining membership and have become a drag on economic growth. If union leadership would develop a plan, that both political parties could align with, there is a chance they could reclaim an important role in the America economy of the 21st century.
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Missouri Overturns ‘Right-to-Work’ Law in Referendum

8/8/18
from The Wall Street Journal,
8/8/18:

Vote to undo 2017 measure gives organized labor a significant victory

Missouri voters on Tuesday overturned a “right-to-work” law in a referendum, giving organized labor a substantial victory. The vote to undo the law passed in 2017 by the Republican-led Legislature was called by the Associated Press. With nearly two-thirds of precincts reporting results, the vote was 64% to 36% against the law, according to the Missouri secretary of state’s website. The law would have allowed private-sector workers to opt out of paying union fees in unionized workplaces. “We’re just getting started. We’ll build on this tremendous achievement in the days and weeks to come,” said Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO.

A union-backed group outspent supporters of the law by nearly 5 to 1 on advertising and other outreach efforts, according to the latest state filings.

“We got outspent,” said Dan Mehan, president and chief executive officer of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. “We’re disappointed obviously, but it doesn’t take away from the benefits of being a right-to-work state.” Unions oppose such laws because they enable workers covered by union-negotiated contracts to avoid paying fees to the union to cover the costs of collective bargaining. Supporters of the laws say that workers, especially those who don’t agree with a union’s politics, shouldn’t have to pay such fees as a condition of employment. The vote halted, at least temporarily, a recent trend among states adopting such measures. Since 2012, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Kentucky have all enacted so-called right-to-work laws. Following Tuesday’s vote, there are 27 states that have such laws.

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