Isn't This What Economic Progress Is Supposed to Mean?

Kevin Drum embarks on a line of argument that a lot of non-union folks have seemed to touch on after the New York City pension strike. He says it is "indefensible" that transit union workers have, through solidarity, managed to negotiate a deal where if you work 25 years sweeping subways, you can get a pension of a whopping $27,500. Instead of voicing my strong disagreement with Kevin, I will just let Duncan Black do the talking in this, this and this post. Bottom line: why is there such animosity/jealousy in America towards the few working-class laborers who have successfully fought together to achieve basic economic gains? Shouldn't that be the point of economic progress? Or does economic progress in America no longer have anything to do with actual benefits for workers?

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