I’ve recently learned, watching “Democracy Now,” that come Jan. 1, private-sector unions may as well be defunct because the National Labor Relations Board, which enforces the National Labor Relations Act, would not have a quorum appointed to protect unions’ legal interests.

According to William Gould, a professor at Stanford Law School and a former member of the NLRB, the board is down to two members of what is supposed to be a five-member board. According to the rules, there must be a quorum of three for the board to act.

According to Gould, the Republican-held House of Representatives is holding up President Barack Obama’s nominee to the NLRB. This is all apparently being carried out on the QT to avoid outcry from the public.

Although I have never belonged to a union, I am aware that my pay and my benefits were largely secured for me by a union.

I fear gone are the days when you can expect an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work unless someone is watching your back. The corporate world has changed.