While union membership is at a record low, US labor movements are gaining steam
May Day was yesterday… but worker momentum is just heating up. US labor unions have been making headlines as looming deadlines could lead to a power shift. Most pressing: the 11.5K film and TV writers represented by the Writers Guild of America are set to strike against studios today, barring an 11th-hour agreement. It’s not just your fave shows that could come to a halt: workers in other key industries are engaged in tense negotiations.
Taking off: yesterday 15K American Airlines pilots voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, though federal laws make it harder for airline unions to join walkouts.
Gearing up: UPS and 340K unionized delivery workers have kicked off contract negotiations for their July 31 deadline. Contracted Amazon drivers in California unionized last month, gaining a $30/hour wage.
Foaming: About 300 US Starbucks stores have voted to unionize so far. Last week, federal labor prosecutors alleged that the latte leader refused to negotiate fairly at 144 locations.
Big stories, low numbers… Despite splashy organizing efforts, US union membership was just 10% last year, the lowest rate on record. Still, Americans’ support of unions is nearly at a 60-year high, with over half seeing the decline of organized labor as negative. Meanwhile, with historically low unemployment and still-high inflation, workers’ wage expectations are rising, reaching $76K/year in March.
The power dynamic’s in flux… While the pandemic saw the employee/employer dynamic tilt in favor of workers in areas like remote work and wage hikes, layoffs and RTO plans have shifted power back toward the boardroom. But even in defeat, labor movements can bring about change: public criticism of a blocked nationwide rail strike in December led major rail companies to grant workers paid sick leave.