Brian Fredline: Unions are key to reviving America
 
  Remember postwar prosperity? Unions brought it to you.
 

  Now, before your eyes begin to glaze over, read on.
  I'm not an economist, but I married one.
 
  I am a United Auto Workers member at the Lansing Delta
  Township plant. My wife is an economist with a Ph.D.
 
  When it comes to politics, I am the irresistible force
  and she is the immovable object. According to the law
  of physics, something has to give.
 
  Our latest "Big Bang" discussion has centered on the
  current labor disputes. Forget about the strikes'
  chronology, timing and consequences. That will be the
  subject of debate and analysis for years to come.
  Instead, I said "Honey, let's talk about history."
 
    The longest period of economic growth in America
  happened in the 1940s-1970s. It is no accident that
  during that time, union membership was at the highest
  level ever.
 
  Remember the days when the American dream of home
  ownership and your kids being "better off "than their
  parents were commonplace? Nowadays, the only way to be
  "better off " than your parents is to move in with
  them and hope they include you in the will.
 
  Our country is charting an economic course that smacks
  of the Dark Ages. The serfs - that's us, the working
  men and women - live and work to serve the ruling
  class, a.k.a. corporate America. Their "low bidder"
  mentality has placed our once proud nation at risk and
  eroded our manufacturing base to a bread-line
  mentality, where $14 an hour is somehow considered as
  "good as it gets."
 
  Meanwhile, the Wall Street wizards manipulate our
  currency, offshore everything and get high fives from
  the White House, while more struggling families lose
  their homes.
 
  When we change our economic policy and strengthen the
  middle class, the mortgage crisis will disappear
  because our unions will negotiate good-paying jobs
  that allow us to make our mortgage payments.
 
  The health-care crisis will disappear because our
  unions will bargain health care for all American
  workers and their families.
 
  Globalization will not be a dirty word because our
  unions would set the standard for all workers across
  the globe to demand safe and healthy working
  conditions and fair pay. That will increase
  productivity and profit for corporations that their
  workers can share.
 
  Finally, America will be a safe and secure nation when
  we stop wasting billions of dollars building roads,
  schools, hospitals and infrastructure for hostile
  nations, while our families at home suffer
 
  This American thinks it's high time we turn our vast
  resources inward, and start taking care of "the little
  guy" - the working men and women, who are the
  foundation of our nation.
 
  Back in the Dark Ages, the serfs "did something" by
  grabbing their pitch forks, uniting in an army and
  storming the castle. As proud union members, our vote
  is our pitchfork, unions are the army and corporate
  greed is the castle.
 
  Everybody "talks" about supporting the middle class.
  Like it or not, the Union is "doing something" about it.