Labor Day is the traditional starting point for the fall election season and, once upon a time, both major parties competed for the support of labor unions and their members. Now that has changed, with rough results for Wisconsin and other states that suffer from wage stagnation even as the economy is supposedly booming.

Union membership has always been associated with economic advancement, and it still is. Unfortunately, unions have been attacked by Republican zealots like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who seek to undermine institutions that challenge corporate power. Democrats tend to be friendlier to unions but, too frequently, they are fair-weather friends who talk a good game but fail at critical moments to fight for labor rights.

This is bad for individual workers, and for the long-term health of the economy in states such as Wisconsin.