The
But despite historic walkouts and record contract deals seen this year, there's a lot stacked against labor organizers. Union membership rates in the
“Even though we’re seeing stronger support for unions, (with) the highest popularity of union favorability in polls since at least the 1960s, translating the worker desire for representation into actual representation is really hard under our current system,”
Still, some labor advocates see growing momentum. Here's where things stand.
WHAT'S DRIVING UNION ACTIVITY NOW?
Across the
“It’s kind of a perfect storm, (so) you see a lot of union movement these days,” said
The tightest
The unemployment rate in the
Open jobs means American workers are quitting in higher numbers because they are confident of landing a better paying job. The unemployment rate 3.8%, further signaling leverage for workers.
Success or partial victories in high-profile union fights can also inspire organizing across industries — and bring lessons for future contract talks. A takeaway from the UAW's strike, for example, "is to act aggressively and creatively” while finding allies, said
UAW President
UNION RATES HAVE BEEN FALLING FOR DECADES. WHY?
While pickets lines seem to be everywhere this year, union membership rates have been declining for decades. Only 6% of
Vachon notes one pivotal moment in particular, when President
“That sent a really clear signal to the business community that it’s a-okay to be completely anti-union and to be so in a very belligerent way, because even the president of
Separately, with the rise of the gig economy, some large companies have recategorized employees as “contractors,” making it harder for them to unionize. And growth in industries that haven't had a strong history of union membership, such as technology, has also contributed to the decline in unionization.
Last year, the number of both public- and private-sector
WHAT LABOR LAWS IMPACT UNIONS TODAY?
The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 granted private-sector employees the right to unionize. A 1961 executive order from President
Some states in the South and lower Midwest “will allow police and firefighters to collectively bargain, but not state employees. Or they’ll let state employees bargain, but they can only bargain over wages,” Vachon said. “That shows you how important the labor law is. It really sets the framework for which workers can either organize a union successfully or not.”
A handful of states also have “right to work” laws which, in unionized workplaces, require unions to represent everyone regardless of whether individuals choose to pay dues or formally join. Such legislation has been criticized for undermining the financial resources and bargaining power of unions.
Attitudes towards unionization have become increasingly partisan, too, and also divided geographically. Politically “blue” states tend to have higher unionization rates than “red” states. Several states have also dialed back on union protections in recent years, Han said.
MORE CHALLENGES ORGANIZING TODAY
Unionization efforts have expanded but many are taking place where there is little history of organized labor, creating a higher bar for workers.
Colvin points to
There are also limits for organizers under current labor law. That means that what worked in auto workers' labor campaign, for example, may not be possible for other industries.
“We have a labor law that was designed in the era in the 30s and 40s, when auto plants of 10,000 workers (were organizing)," he said.
Service jobs can also be hard to organize due to part-time work and high turnover rates. The same can be said for Amazon warehouses, where there have been pushes for unions.
According to a Gallup poll, public approval of stronger unions now stands at 67%, down slightly from the 71% last year, but mirroring levels last seen in the 1960s. Creighton and others add that young people in particular are leading today's charge.
But the desire to organize can only go so far without policy change, experts say.
“We’re absolutely at a turning point in people’s consciousness,” Vachon adds. “Whether that translates into actual a change of direction for union density, I think, is going to depend a lot on how that consciousness plays out in the political arena.”
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