The state of the unions: the labor movement’s taking new territory

Labor plants a flag… Following a year that saw the most major American strikes in more than two decades, 2024 has seen labor make inroads into largely nonunion regions, industries, and companies. And that’s despite the number of unionized workers barely budging at just over 14M (or 10% of the workforce — half of the rate from the early ’80s). Following last year’s massive work stoppages, union popularity still appears strong: more than half of Americans say the decline in union membership has been bad for the country.

Cars and coffee… Labor’s still making progress. The United Auto Workers followed up last year’s 25% raise for its members at Detroit automakers by driving south: Tennessee Volkswagen workers voted to join the union in April — the first Southern car factory to unionize through an election in 80 years. Starbucks and the union organizing 10K of its workers appear on track to reach a contract in a big service-industry breakthrough. Last month, workers at an Apple store ratified the tech behemoth’s first union contract. And in gaming, labor momentum has leveled up as layoffs rock the industry. Workers at several Microsoft studios (including “Fallout” maker Bethesda) have unionized, while the SAG-AFTRA performers’ union went on strike against video-game studios over wages and AI.

Looking ahead… The threat of a major walkouts still looms for troubled Boeing. Its contract with 32K unionized machinists is due this month. And in the years ahead, more cross-industry strikes could happen: the UAW has outlined plans for a US general strike in 2028.