Unions may be on the verge of a resurgence. After decades of declines, workers are organizing across household-name companies, like Starbucks, Amazon, and Google, at a pace not seen since the 1930s. In fact, recent polling shows public support for labor unions at 71%, its highest level since 1965. During the old industrialization days, unions were credited with securing better wages, reasonable hours, and safer conditions. They applied broad influence over the American economy. But their power waned. Some say good riddance. They that argue unions actually hurt workers and the economy under the guise of supporting both. Advocates, however, argue that in light of yawning income inequalities, unions are desperately needed.

In light of recent widespread public support, an overarching question looms large: Do Unions Work For The Economy? 

Arguing "YES is Steven Greenhouse. 

Labor and Workplace Journalist & Author  Steven Greenhouse is a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, where he writes about wages and working conditions, collective action, and other workplace issues. Previously, he worked as a reporter for The New York Times for thirty-one years, spending his last nineteen as its labor and workplace reporter. He continues to freelance for publications such as The New York Times, The Washington ost, and The New Yorker, among others. He is the author of “The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker” and “Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor.”

Arguing "NO" is Allison Schrager.

Economist& Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute  Allison Schrager is an American economist and author. She is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, where she studies tax and monetary policy, and a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion. She is also the author of “An Economist Walks into a Brothel” and was a regular contributor to the Economist, Reuters, and Bloomberg Businessweek. In addition to her writing, she has consulted for organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and designed retirement investment strategies for Dimensional Fund Advisors. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University.

Guest Moderator: Nick Gillespie, Editor-at-large, Reason & Author

Nick Gillespie is the editor-at-large of Reason, the libertarian magazine of "free minds and free markets," and the host of “The Reason Interview” with Nick Gillespie. A two-time finalist for digital National Magazine Awards, he is co-author of “The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America.” In addition to Reason, his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Slate, and Salon, among others and been a frequent commentator on networks such as NPR, CNBC, Fox News Channel, PBS, and CNN. Gillespie received his Ph.D. in English literature from the State University of New York at Buffalo and an M.A. in English from Temple University.