http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Josie/Where%20We%20Live%2001-25-2011.mp3
New statistics show that union membership in America has slipped again…reaching its lowest rate in more than 70 years.
While unions in the for-profit world have seen their influence decline, and many state workers face budget cutbacks, some union watchers question the whether labor is in a downward spiral. But, after a strong showing from state workers in Dannel Malloy’s election, and last year’s historic UAW organizing efforts at Foxwoods, unions in Connecticut are alive and well, and still play a big role in state government.
Today we'll talk with New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse, who covers unions to figure out the state of unions on the eve of Obama’s State of the Union address. And we’ll look big picture, covering 200 years of labor history with the author of a new book "THERE IS POWER IN A UNION :The Epic Story of Labor in America." And we’ll hear from union members from Connecticut and Ohio -one of the main battlegrounds for labor rights, as the new governor aims to take on unions.