“Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell?” King Theoden asks Aragorn in one of my favorite movies. Where was Gondor? Middle Earth was falling into chaos. Gondor was fighting for its own survival and, in fairness to Gondor, allies provide little help during unforeseen Blitzkrieg attacks.

So here is today’s question for those of us in the plague-ridden lands of the United States: Where were the democrats when the orcs beheaded the unions? I don’t think I can make many excuses for the democratic party. Democratic states held up better under the onslaught, but law after law has cut into collective bargaining rights across this nation. Here is the situation for teachers:

Right now, many democrats and others are sending suggestions, directly and indirectly, to the new Biden administration. I’d like to suggest we push unions to the forefront. While decades late, we must protect, support and encourage unionization. The alternative is what we have today in many right-to-work locations — and that alternative is not pretty.

A big debate is underway at the moment about a $15 minimum wage, but let’s be clear: the federal minimum is only $7.25 — not even half that $15 amount — and the objective situation is worse because of tip credits. Over 40 states allow tips to be applied to wages. This neat trick results in people paying themselves while their actual cash wage from their employer frequently comes in under THREE DOLLARS PER HOUR. Minimums vary but most are under $10.00 per hour.

That $7.25 may innocuously be called a minimum wage, but it’s also a perfect operational definition of POVERTY. Look at the numbers above. Add in the fact that many employers limit hours in order to avoid having to pay for health insurance. So many of my students’ parents worked two or more jobs — maybe 28 hours in fast food and 23 hours on an assembly line; one diligent dad had a paper route on top of his two jobs. To pull the numbers together into a coherent picture, 23 + 28 hours = 51 hours total. Multiply 51 times $7.25 to get $369.75 dollar per week. Multiply 369.75 times 52 weeks = $19,227 per year. In many parts of the nation, that amount barely covers an apartment and may not cover both an apartment and food.

What is a union? It’s a voice for those who are otherwise powerless — the fast food, factory-working, paper route guy who knows that if he protests his working conditions, he will quickly be replaced. Unions offer workers a chance to be paid fairly, without regard to gender, color or other irrelevant characteristics that have nothing to do with job qualifications. My union got me good health and dental insurance through the years, as well as a solid retirement plan that included medical. I would have had a voice to stand by me if I had been forced to protest injustice at work, too.

Eduhonesty: When contacting government officials readers, I’d like to ask readers to bump unions up to the top of your wish list. If we return the unions to a position of strength, other hoped-for improvements such as better working conditions, better healthcare and more economic security will come naturally.

Once in Middle Earth, Rohan and Gondor stood up to the massed legions of Sauron’s orcs. They survived because they stood together even when the odds seemed insurmountable, the forces against them overwhelming. They survived because they marched together 10,000 strong on the Black Gate to distract Sauron so the Ring of Power could be destroyed.*

Let’s stand together. Let’s stand for a living wage, health insurance, dental and life insurance, fair working conditions, job security, and, yes, a pension. Early in this new administration, let’s push unions to the front of the agenda. We can do this.

*If this makes no sense, reader, time to stream The Lord of the Rings trilogy!