It is Labour day in the US, and President Barack Obama has spent some of the day campaigning in the crucial swing state of Ohio, reminding voters how important workers' rights are.<br /><br />In the south, meanwhile, unions are fighting a losing battle to gain a foothold in the manufacturing plants.<br /><br />Republican state governments have undermined union rights across the south, encouraging some of the lowest wages in the country.<br /><br />Companies like Michelin and BMW have been attracted to South Carolina, one of the many states in which workers do not need to pay union fees.<br /><br />Union organisers say the consequence has been to cripple unions.<br /><br />Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, supports these policies.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Tom Ackerman reports from South Carolina.
