US unions see wages fall
<p><span word="Labor">Labor</span> <span word="Day">Day</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="honor">honor</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="contribution">contribution</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="workers">workers</span>. <span word="Recently">Recently</span>, <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="have">have</span> <span word="fallen">fallen</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="times">times</span>. <span word="Unemployment">Unemployment</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="high">high</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="wages">wages</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="benefits">benefits</span> <span word="continue">continue</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="decline">decline</span> -- <span word="along">along</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ranks">ranks</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="organized">organized</span> <span word="labor">labor</span>. <span word="With">With</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="presidential">presidential</span> <span word="campaign">campaign</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="full">full</span> <span word="swing">swing</span>, <span word="both">both</span> <span word="candidates">candidates</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="claiming">claiming</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="what">what</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="worker">worker</span>.</p><p><span word="Tom">Tom</span> <span word="Lee">Lee</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="Federation">Federation</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Musicians">Musicians</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="musicians">musicians</span>' <span word="union">union</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="career">career</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="Marine">Marine</span> <span word="Corps">Corps</span> <span word="Band">Band</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="played">played</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="performances">performances</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="White">White</span> <span word="House">House</span>.</p><p><span word="Although">Although</span> <span word="unions">unions</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="lost">lost</span> <span word="stature">stature</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="decades">decades</span>, <span word="Lee">Lee</span> <span word="believes">believes</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="role">role</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span>.</p><p>“<span word="I">I</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="unions">unions</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="helped">helped</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="people">people</span>. <span word="Even">Even</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="unions">unions</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="strides">strides</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="terms">terms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wages">wages</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="terms">terms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="benefits">benefits</span>,” <span word="Lee">Lee</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="union">union</span> <span word="membership">membership</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="declined">declined</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="about">about</span> 50% <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> 40 <span word="years">years</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Wisconsin">Wisconsin</span> <span word="stripped">stripped</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="collective">collective</span> <span word="bargaining">bargaining</span> <span word="rights">rights</span>.</p><p><span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="economists">economists</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="decline">decline</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="membership">membership</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="factor">factor</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="drop">drop</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="wages">wages</span>, <span word="adjusted">adjusted</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="inflation">inflation</span>.</p><p><span word="Lawrence">Lawrence</span> <span word="Mishel">Mishel</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="liberal">liberal</span> <span word="Economic">Economic</span> <span word="Policy">Policy</span> <span word="Institute">Institute</span>.</p><p>“<span word="And">And</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="excessive">excessive</span> <span word="unemployment">unemployment</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="recently">recently</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> 30 <span word="years">years</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="globalization">globalization</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="pitted">pitted</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="lower">lower</span> <span word="wages">wages</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="erosion">erosion</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="unionization">unionization</span>,” <span word="Mishel">Mishel</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p>
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