The Middle Ages saw the establishment of free cities with free citizens. That is one of its great accomplishments. It also saw the establishment of Republics. It was the wealthy merchants of these Medieval Republics that supported many of the artists and scholars of the Renaissance.
The original article of this thread mentions the Cathedral of Florence. Most of that church was build in the Middle Ages. That is very evident in the style of the bell tower at the front of the church. As for Brunelleschi's dome, that was paid for by the Wool Guild of Florence. How do you get the dome without those institutions that were created in the Middle Ages? Even his dome used a Gothic ribbed construction in the outer shell as well as a pointed arch.
As for the peasants working the land, did the Renaissance set them free? I think the French Revolution some centuries later answers that question.
Of course all the accomplishments of the Middle Ages must be debunked by the modern who expects every age to be a mirror of some perfection that has never exited and never will exist.
My point was that, with rare exceptions generally ended quickly and bloodily, the Middle Ages did not have anything resembling modern labor unions.
I agree that the Middle Ages often get no respect. Technologically Western Europe was probably ahead of the ancient classical world by 1250 or so, with the advancement accelerating all the time. Rome, OTOH, was stagnant or even retrograde in technology for centuries.
The common man in the Middle Ages, while often severely oppressed by modern standards, was also well ahead of his equivalent in the classical world. The serf was at least recognized as a man with enforceable legal and property rights. The slave was chattel.