Making the case for stronger unions

     There's an art to making something complicated but important easy to understand. The art's called teaching. In "Middle Class, Union Made," Richard A. Levins teaches the reader not only why it's vital to restore a vibrant middle class to America, but offers his case for strengthening the U.S. economy.

     Levins, a University of Minnesota professor emeritus of applied economics, writes succinctly about the forces that have eroded the middle class. The result has been tilting income distribution ever upward to the already wealthy while the middle class shrinks in size and buying power. Levins argues clearly that  while government action is necessary to reverse the trend, it is not sufficient. Strong, effective unions, he says, are an essential tool to rebuild the American middle class that has been wounded by wage and job cutting and excessive debt.

     He generates a sense of urgency. "Time is not on our side," Levins writes. "The sooner we take action to put economic power back where it belongs, in the hand of the middle class, the better off we all will be."

     The beginning of summer may not invite a deep dive into economic justice, but Levins creates both a forthright case for his argument and a quick read.  He leads into each chapter with a key point, supports the point and tries to rally the reader to action. Levins teaches the power of unions to make a difference in the quality of life.