Widespread union membership actually made it easier to keep wages down. Union leaders would negotiate wage increases to match inflation, but you couldn't leave

Widespread union membership actually made it easier to keep wages down. Union leaders would negotiate wage increases to match inflation, but you couldn't leave the union and find a new job without losing all of your seniority. You were essentially locked into lifetime employment. In the current system, low-wage workers can bounce immediately as there is no loyalty to their firm in either direction. Workers can very quickly jump to whoever is paying the inflation-adjusted wages, and the government can't keep a lid on income rises by negotiating with a small group of union and corporate leaders.