my dad was in a trade union... he and his brothers helped build many of the buildings in New York City- skyscrapers, hospitals, apartment buildings. They even went out of state & helped build parts of Perdue University when work was slim at home.

The union - we'll leave out some of the union bosses, as bad as many politicians- provided a safety net for dad & my family. And I can remember plenty of times that we lived on what was in the pantry & freezer that was stocked when the paychecks did come in.

I am a union member that works for a state... after 28 years, my pay is but a fraction of that of the political appointees - mostly patronage jobs given to folks who owe their their jobs to who they know, rather than what they know- jobs that used to be part of the civil service and based on merit, but removed by politicians. A newly elected state assemblyman earns more ... plus the perks of office.

But the unions are the parasites? No... we are scapegoats to distract voters from the real problem...