The vast majority of people I know were union members until their jobs were shipped off to some slave labor country or else the company started "in-sourcing" short term labor from temp services at lower wages.
The unions at national level didn't see fit to organize to stop it. The government that allowed it and even passed laws to make it easier simply told the workers to quit being moochers and lazy bums and spend $1000s in debt (at a nice fat interest rate) to go get a college degree...... and then promptly rewarded companies who shipped college jobs out or imported cheaper labor.
People have just gotten to the point where they don't trust anyone but themselves. The expect the government to fuck them out of whatever small savings or safety net they've been able to cobble together....... home equity, IRAs, SSI, Medicare..... you name it. And when a candidate comes along and says the reason your safety net is in trouble is because of all these moochers over here, and if we cut them all off you will be safe...... well it rings a bell...... or rather a dog whistle.
Now a guy like Bernie comes along and says the reason your safety net is in trouble is because we've handed the "job creators" the nation's wealth on a platter and spent OUR money on weapons to kill kids and grandmas on the other side of the world they are very skeptical. They are convinced what little they have, in the form of a paycheck, will vanish if we dare offend the money people AND the one avenue of semi-security for them or their kids - a career in the military - might vanish as well.
The mantra people are voting against their interests is not accurate from what I've seen. The truth is more like people have become convinced the Democratic talking point that government can help is a lie....... based on what they consider life experience to date. Not that they trust the GOP any better.
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