Challenges & Opportunities of Teaching History of Labor Unions

There is no denying that unions played a critical role in raising wages and increasing protections for American workers in the first half of the twentieth century. 

But the debate surrounding the role of unions in the contemporary economy is much more complex. Are they still needed? Do they continue to provide necessary protections for otherwise vulnerable workers? Or do they stand in the way of the workplace reforms needed to make American industries competitive in the global economy?