Trade unions have always had a hard time in this country. The power structure has always favored the business owners. And when threatened with strikes, many businesses simply moved their production offshore. Meanwhile, our government made foreign trade deals that did not require other countries to provide the same worker and environmental protections as the USA. Or if they did, the agreements didn't have the verification mechanisms or sanction structures to insure parity. And it never helped that some union bosses have been corrupt as hell (e.g. Jimmy Hoffa). Things seem to be changing now, but it took two generations of rising standards of living in 3rd world countries, and the closing of countless US factories to get here.

Is it apt to push such generalizations across nations (the US seems most egoist) or generations as the Me generation grew up in the 60s? Other nations seem more socially conscious and later generations are dealing with aftermaths of the coke addled go-getter 80s. Greed is good isn’t a Millennial or GenZ motto.