I found this article in the New York Times yesterday and forgot to blog it. Unions are explicitly addressing poverty and taking up the issue in Congress.

I'm not sure that the best way to combat poverty is through the union card, but the article is interesting. A union card might be one weapon in a comprehensive arsenal for combating poverty--who knows? I think the effectiveness of unionization in this struggle will depend on what goals and priorities unions set for themselves. For example, focusing exclusively or predominantly on wages may not be the best approach. Personally, when I think of unions, I think more in terms of quality of life issues such as HOURS, working conditions, benefits, and overall firm culture. I know that studies show that unions typically inflate wages, but I think that rate of pay is only one battle in the war on poverty.

Well, that's enough rambling. You can read the article for yourself here.