Speaking from my experience in this little corner of our state, most of the rank and file doesn't give a flying you-know-what about what their leadership says. They get their dues taken out of their paycheck, they get their Solidarity & Teamster magazines, maybe flip through to see if there is anything interesting and then toss it out. They don't really feel like getting involved.

And from one of my friends who belongs to one of those unions I mentioned above pointed out an interesting detail; IF there was the overwhelming groundswell of support that the union leadership claimed, because of the numbers who physically  would've been there, the situation in Madison would've been much, much worse. At the very least, not only wouldn't there be any democrats in the Capitol, but there wouldn't be any Republicans either because they wouldn't be allowed near the place.