Mark Erlich is Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the New England Carpenters Union, an organization he joined in 1974 when he was a carpenters’ apprentice. He is also the author of 2 books and numerous essays and editorials on labor issues. As a MassINC Board member who regularly contributes on workforce development and the economy, we asked for his view on the plight of the American worker given the state of the American economy.