The union

n. One of the many scapegoats utilized by the GOP and other ignorant people to blame societal woes upon, namely a poor economy. What these ignorant people do not understand is that unions are a major backbone of the United States' labor force. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 1 out of every 10 salary/wage earners is a unionized worker in America. This is not an insignificant statistic. Workers need unions as much as ever—because most corporations focus on profit at the expense of employees. Employers are constantly trying to shed responsibilities— providing health insurance, good pension coverage, reasonable work hours and job safety protections, for example—while making workers' jobs and incomes less secure through downsizing, part-timing and contracting out. Working people need a voice at work to keep employers from making our jobs look like they did 100 years ago, with sweatshop conditions, unlivable wages and 70-hour workweeks. Unions are a pivotal part of the American labor force. The only people that hate them are those who do not belong to one and are too lazy and/or afraid to join one (out of fear of their employer, who doesn't want to stop lining his pockets by taking a decrease in profits). So instead of campaigning for them, these ignoramuses fight against them. Go figure.