Populist Reform of the Democratic Party
In reply to the discussion: No apologies from me, I can't imagine a more vomit inducing nominee for the Democratic Party [View all]olegramps
(8,200 posts)Sorry but it was the American workers that deserted the unions. I saw it happen in my own company. Young workers bought the Republican propaganda hook, line and sinker. They refused to join the union saying they wouldn't support corrupt union leaders with the hard earned money. The fact was that the shop stewards were fellow workers and the union have never been accused of any wrong doing let alone convicted of any charge. The instances of corrupt union leaders was primarily limited to the Teamsters who were kicked out of AFL-CIO. Union membership plummeted along with wages, pensions and health care. I hand it to the Republicans that ran a brilliant campaign of selling lies to the working class. The end result has been that labor has little influence on elections and can not get their candidates nominated. When the unions were strong that could demand that representatives actually represented their interests. That void has been filled by corporations who finance the candidates of their choice who are naturally beholding to those who made their election possible. The situation was bad enough but the Republican Supreme Court dealt the working class the final blow with the Citizens United decision. Wait if they control the House, Senate and Whitehouse. They are determined to overturn every piece of progressive legislation. Say goodbye to Social Security, Medicare, ACA, Labor Board, public education, 40 hour work week, minimum wage, child labor, EPA, OSHA, universities will become 19th century bastion for the wealthy only, labors don't need to be educated, etc.,etc., ad nausam.