Over the top if you are responding to my posting Fidel.
The sad situation you describe is an indictment of the status quo. Change is needed desperately before there is nothing left to salvage. in both the labour movement and the politics.
Unions are from being too powerful, but it because they have not been good at growing their ranks as a percentage of the working population. I would humbly suggest that they focus on breaking into new sectors of the economy as I suggested earlier in the thread - call centres, fast food outlets, gas stations - and reach the disaffected worker who now makes minimum wage and has no benefits. I know the UFCW has been very active in this respect and my hat goes off to them for their efforts.
Unions should focus on increasing their ranks and helping new people who need it through bargaining for fair wages and benefits. If they can increase their numbers by making a breakthrough into non-traditional sectors of the economy, then their membership numbers will again swell, their reputation be enhanced and restored, and their social influence will return - especially among the lower educated, politically inactive, working poor who now vote Conservative because they believe the cure for their ails is less taxes, regulation, and government.
That being said though, it's not unholy for unions to support a political party or vice versa, but it is a mile from democratic if any sub-group is given special voting rights in a population.