The largest unions in this area of the country are either in the trades (carpenters, electricians) and government workers. The biggest problem is that the costs are going up and up. When a teacher or police officer can retire in their 40s or 50s with free medical coverage for life, it's too of a burden for taxpayers to keep carrying. Those costs have spiraled out of control, with no end in sight.

The politicians, realizing the frustration of those voters in the private sector, have faced the facts that the unions are no longer the desired supporters they once were.