Solis: American Unions and Middle Class Go Hand in Hand

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is speaking out about the link between declining union membership and the erosion of America's middle class.

As unions grew, so did the number of workers and their families in middle-class America, Solis recently told Christian Science Monitor reporters. Now, she said, families like hers growing up don't have the same opportunity to join unions and bargain collectively, putting them at an economic disadvantage.

"I am a product of that, coming from a family, a working class family that was able to have those benefits, (such as) health care," Solis said. "I see my parents now living on retirement and know how important it is to level the playing field" so that all working Americans can have access to medical care and look forward to a secure retirement.

Solis's mother, a native of Nicaragua, worked on an assembly line and her father, a Mexican immigrant, was a Teamsters' shop steward.

Solis said despite declining membership, unions are fighting as hard as ever for their members and all American workers. "To me, that's kind of been a part of our American makeup...and unfortunately some people will disagree with me on that," she said.