Opinion: The Fight for Unions is the Fight for Democracy

American democracy is in decline; can unions help revitalize it?

Wealth inequality in America is the highest it has been in decades, with a small percentage of the population holding a disproportionately large share of the nation's wealth.

This is not only not sustainable for the economy, but it is also not sustainable for democracy. In order for democracy to function, labor needs to have just as much of a say as their bosses.

While the wages of the 1% have doubled since 1979, everybody else’s wages have only increased by 24%. I attribute this to Reagan’s anti-labor policies, which heavily favored corporate power over worker organization. Since the Reagan era, policies that oppose unions have been consistently promoted, such as right-to-work laws. These policies lead to declining union membership and weakened bargaining power. These have effectively led to the destruction of worker power in favor of corporate control.

However, this could change. Support for unions is at an all-time high, despite steadily decreasing union membership. At the very least, this shows people understand that unions are an important part of dealing with corporations, even if they are struggling to implement them. It shows a need for investment in this field, which could potentially boost the membership and potency of unions. With guidance and investment, workers may be able to gain back the bargaining power that they lost.

Unions are an important first step in closing the wealth inequality gap and reestablishing worker power. They have been proven to increase wealth for all households, especially marginalized groups. Allowing workers to develop socio-economical wealth is foundational to political power. Incredible wealth concentration leads to power concentration. The 1% holds a disproportionate amount of power because they hold a disproportionate amount of wealth. It allows them to easily lobby for their interests, such as tax cuts or deregulation. Workers can establish a similar power through unions. Unions can organize workers and allow them to express their interests in a way that a single worker cannot. It ensures that the demands of the majority are heard just as much as the demands of the wealthy. In a healthy democracy, everyone should have an equal voice. However, in a system where a small group of individuals control an overwhelming amount of wealth, their influence can far outweigh the majority. Unions can be a powerful tool in restoring balance and giving power back to the people.