Nationally, about 7 percent of private-sector workers are union members, which gives unions a lot less bargaining power than they once had, and a lot fewer members to turn out to vote. In states where unions have more racially diverse memberships, Clinton’s union vote was higher (she won 66 percent of the union household vote in California). Now, Trump, the Republican Congress and the soon-to-be Republican-dominated Supreme Court are poised to damage unions – and the interests of working people, both union and not – even more. The two national teachers unions, as well as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and the Service Employees International Union each has well over a million members; their combined membership comes to a little more than half the total membership of American unions. Anyone who hopes for American greatness must also hope that labor has the strength and smarts to survive what’s coming in the Trump years.

Source: Washington Post November 23, 2016 11:07 UTC