[xoxoxoBruce]

The chart itself does not prove causation, even though I know damn well it's a major factor. It's labeled as share going to the unions, and with union membership in decline that's to be expected. What it doesn't show is all the non-union workers who benefited from the unions keeping wages following productivity and inflation, by being carried along.

The modern robber barons knew this, they'd watched it happen for 80 or so years. Then when the workers got fat and complacent, they jumped at the chance to beat the unions down, telling workers they were going to move production down south, or overseas. Telling them there was no reason to pay dues when they were going to do just as well without it.

It wasn't only the workers who got fat and complacent, so did the union big shots. All union officials from the local shop steward to the president of the UAW, IBEW, el al, are elected. That makes them politicians, and we know what how that works. The ones at the top are making big money, living high on the hog. Some are great, some are not, but Joe-average sees shit going on that irks him, and he may not move to Canada like he threatened when Congress irked him, but he may just quit the union.