Originally Posted by jungle

We will always be better served by facts rather than ill-informed political bias. Chatter cannot replace reality, the myth is indeed false.

If you actually believe that either side has helped unions or the value of the dollar, you just have not been paying attention, or perhaps you just enjoy a bad lie.



Union Membership: Overall (1948-2004)
U.S. Union Membership, 1948-2004
(numbers in thousands)
Year %Workforce Total members
1948 31.8 14,271
1949 31.9 13,935
1950 31.6 14,294
1951 31.7 15,139
1952 32.0 15,632
1953 32.5 16,310
1954 32.3 15,808
1955 31.8 16,126
1956 31.4 16,446
1957 31.2 16,497
1958 30.3 15,570
1959 29.0 15,438
1960 28.6 15,516
1961 28.5 15,400
1962 30.4 16,893
1963 30.2 17,133
1964 30.2 17,597
1965 30.1 18,268
1966 29.6 18,922
1967 29.9 19,667
1968 29.5 20,017
1969 28.7 20,185
1970 29.6 20,990
1971 29.1 20,711
1972 28.8 21,205
1973 28.5 21,881
1974 28.3 22,165
1975 28.9 22,207
1976 27.9 22,153
1977 26.2 21,632
1978 25.1 21,756
1979 24.5 22,025
1980 23.2 20,968
1981 22.6 20,646
1982 21.9 19,571
1983 20.7 18,633
1984 18.8 17,340
1985 18.0 16,996
1986 17.5 16,975
1987 17.0 16,913
1988 16.8 17,002
1989 16.4 16,960
1990 16.1 16,740
1991 16.1 16,568
1992 15.8 16,390
1993 15.8 16,598
1994 15.5 16,748
1995 14.9 16,326
1996 14.5 16,269
1997 14.1 16,110
1998 13.9 16,211
1999 13.9 16,477
2000 13.5 16,258
2001 13.5 16,275
2002 13.3 16,146
2003 12.9 15,776
2004 12.5 15,472



Sources: Union Sourcebook 1947-1983; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics