As horrific as communism was, the average worker in the west probably indirectly benefited from capitalist being scared of something similar happening closer to home, and gave concessions.

After the fall of communism that trend reversed and workers are steadily loosing ground.

As someone who was born in one of those communist countries I am glad that its dead, and I don't want it to ever come back, but It did serve as an example of what can happen if you try to squeeze too much out of people.