The Labor Day chart which says it all

 From TMI

Before around 1980, worker productivity and compensation steadily increased as union membership grew and remained relatively high. Then when union membership declined, there wasn’t a sharp uptick in productivity (the rate of gain remained roughly the same from the days of stronger unions) — the thing that changed was workers’ compensation. With less union strength, workers simply started getting paid less. With fewer unions, workers’ productivity gains which had previously been compensated instead were pocketed by owners and shareholders

1980 was about when neo-liberalism became the orthodoxy.  Since then, in real (=inflation-adjusted) terms, the incomes of ordinary people have stagnated, even though real GDP  and GDP per capita has risen steadily.  The excess has gone to the top 10% and especially to the top 1%.  

How long do conservatives think voters will allow this to continue?  Just a reminder, billionaires:  it was the excesses of the late 19th century that led to the rise of socialism.  

This chart is equally telling:

It really is quite simple: employers have far more power and better information about labour market conditions than employees.  And as long as economies are run too cool, unemployment and partial unemployment remains higher than what would allow workers to fight back.

I know doctrinaire socialism has many faults (I lived through it!) but extreme red-in-tooth-and-claw capitalism isn't delivering for ordinary people.  If socialism is becoming attractive to millennials, there's a reason.  Lift your game, millionaires and billionaires or face the inevitable reaction.