“Strong, responsible unions are essential to industrial fair play. Without them the labor bargain is wholly one-sided,” declared Justice Brandeis.

 Organized labor does need to adjust to changed circumstances.  The auto industry bailouts, for example, forced changes that were clearly overdue. 

 However, when labor unions set decent working conditions and benefit levels for their members, there is a ripple effect for non-unionized workers

 Consequently, eliminating or weakening collective bargaining rights for state employees in Wisconsin will have a deleterious effect for many other working men and women.

 “’Middle class’ is more than an income category,” Prof. Jacob Hacker writes.  “It’s an image of a certain kind of society–a nation in which the gains of prosperity are broadly shared and those who work hard have a good shot at upward mobility and the security of a basic safety net. “

 Brandeis also said, “We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.” 

 February 27