In May 1976, a small group of Vermonters gathered in a church basement in Montpelier, the state’s capital, to learn about union organizing. At a day-long training session, the United Electrical Workers (UE) and three other progressive unions discussed strategy and tactics with cheese makers from Vermont’s famous Cabot Creamery, delivery drivers from a local beer distributor, and white-collar workers from a nearby newspaper.

As coordinator of the event, I arranged for the opening speech to be delivered by a fellow democratic socialist. Both of us had testified a few months earlier in the Vermont legislature, located just down the street, against a Republican-backed “right-to-work” bill.

My new political friend had a rumpled appearance, gruff manner, and distinct “flatlander” accent. He took the mic and launched into a now-familiar tutorial on the difficulty of making ends meet on the minimum wage. As a freelance writer and underemployed carpenter in mid-1970s Vermont, he spoke from personal experience.