Philip Dine talked about his book State of the Unions: How Labor Can Strengthen the Middle Class, Improve Our Economy, and Regain Political Influence, published by McGraw-Hill. In his book Mr. Dine explores the current state of America’s unions, once a representative of one third of the work force, union membership is currently at 12 percent. Mr. Dine, who reported on labor issues for the St. Louis Post Dispatch for twenty years, contends that unions must remain an intregal part of America’s work environment to maintain a strong economy and profiles several groups across the country. He responded to questions from members of the audience.