Every gain was immediately lost

Not at all.
They may be weaker, but we still have unions. Social security is still in place. We still have 5 day 40 hour workweeks as standard. Overtime is still paid at 1.5x. We still have OSHA ensuring safe working conditions. The list is long.

Each cycle the public makes many gains. Most of them are carried through to the next cycle, where more gains are made. I have hope that Gen z or Gen Alpha will gain ground on universal healthcare, mandatory vacation and sick leave, mandatory family leave, voting rights and methods. Hell with AI coming for everyone's jobs, maybe even a form of universal basic income.