THIS LABOR DAY, if you want a close up view of our nation’s widening chasm between the rich and the rest of us, all you have to do is take a walk. Boston and the state as a whole have become one of America’s best examples of its worst trend – runaway income inequality.

With a high-stakes presidential election this fall, Labor Day reminds us that we need unions more than ever – not only to raise wages, but to keep our democracy vibrant given the historic income divide.

In Suffolk County, the top 1 percent makes 51 times more than the bottom 99 percent. On average, the wealthiest 1 percent make about $2.4 million a year while those in the bottom fifth percentile in Boston make less than $15,000.

The picture for our state as a whole is even worse: A recent Economic Policy Institute report found that Massachusetts is about as unequal as we were just before the Great Depression.

Statistic after statistic demonstrates that the historic wage disparity has been fueled by globalization and an all-out assault on the right of workers to collectively organize in their workplace. Nationally the decline in union membership tracks right alongside the decline in wages.

But don’t let anyone tell you that unions are dead. The last several years have seen dramatic victories for hardworking families in Massachusetts. Two of the largest labor disputes in recent history, at Verizon and Stop & Shop, ended with major wins for nearly 75,000 workers in Massachusetts and across New England who will earn higher wages, job security, and retirement dignity.

And there are many other local victories where low-wage workers succeeded in pulling themselves out of poverty by forming unions.

Rui Yi Tan is a homecare worker at Medical Resources, providing care in homes around Boston. Despite long hours at demanding work, she was barely able to make ends meet, with a starting wage of only $10.50 per hour.  Despite anti-union harassment, Rui Yi and her coworkers are about to sign their first union contract – a first for the private home care industry in Massachusetts. They will see their pay increase by as much as 22 percent. Rui Yi believes “this victory doesn’t just belong to Medical Resources workers but all home care workers and immigrant workers.”

I agree. Unions are the best anti-poverty program we’ve got. But there are a lot of promises being made in this election season about income inequality. Jobs, trade, and wages are front and center in the presidential race. Why not look to government for the big fix?

Government only works for the people – the 99 percent whose wages have been stagnant – when you have civic institutions that hold government accountable. Even with a decline in union membership, unions are still one of the most important civic organizations we have.

For starters, unions embody democracy in the workplace, and that value system and role extends to society as a whole. In fact, unions devote impressive resources to making sure working people participate in elections – get educated and get to the polls. Equally as important, unions don’t just disappear once politicians hold office. They play a critical role advocating on behalf of working people and holding elected officials accountable to the promises they made.

Unions foster a spirit of civic mindedness – not just on economic issues, but through their advocacy and community engagement, whether it’s donating to numerous charities, holiday food drives, or coaching Little League.

Perhaps most profoundly, at a time when the extreme right has achieved disheartening traction both in the US and in Europe, a New York Times report on a study published in July by the European Journal of Political Research concluded that “union membership helps inoculate workers against the far right’s message.”

By counteracting a sense of powerlessness, unions make us all less susceptible to authoritarian messages, fear mongering, and empty promises. Unions infuse our society with a democratic and civic spirit. This election season we need that spirit more than ever.

So get out and vote this fall. Vote for candidates who believe that rebuilding the middle class keeps our economy – and our democracy – strong.

Steven Tolman is president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

CommonWealth Voices is sponsored by The Boston Foundation.

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