In the United States, workers from various industries have shown a growing tendency to go on strike or threaten to do so. The recent months have witnessed Hollywood come to a standstill as tens of thousands of actors joined screenwriters on the picket lines. Additionally, over 300,000 United Parcel Service workers were on the verge of a summer strike before reaching a last-minute deal. Now, the United Auto Workers union has authorized a potential walkout encompassing approximately 150,000 members at General Motors, Ford Motor, and Stellantis if negotiations fail before contracts expire on September 14. This looming strike could push the number of workers who have engaged in job walkouts this year to over 450,000, the highest level since 2018.
This increase in strike activity can be attributed partially to the strong economic recovery experienced in the country, which has bolstered workers’ bargaining power. According to Ruth Milkman, a professor at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center and School of Labor and Urban Studies, the tight labor market is the most influential factor. It is worth noting that despite this recent upswing, union activity overall has declined since the 1970s and 1980s when the annual number of striking workers regularly exceeded 400,000.
Anticipating Strikes in 2023, but Reaching Lower Levels than Historically
Number of workers involved in work stoppages in the United States
During the 1980s, public support for unions declined, with Gallup reporting approval ratings just above 50 percent compared to the post-World War II high of 75 percent. An important event that influenced the private sector was the federal air traffic controllers’ strike in 1981. After the workers violated a law prohibiting government employees from striking, President Ronald Reagan gave them an ultimatum to return to work within 48 hours. More than 11,000 employees who did not comply were fired and replaced, resulting in the decertification of their union.
The consequences of this strike had ripple effects in the private sector, as it inspired private sector unions in the 1980s to replace striking workers, according to Joseph A. McCartin, a labor history professor at Georgetown University.
Union membership in the United States has been on a continuous decline, which accelerated in the 1980s. In 2022, the percentage of the workforce belonging to a union dropped to approximately 10 percent from over 20 percent in 1983. Industries with high unionization rates, such as manufacturing and transportation, shifted labor to right-to-work states and overseas to limit union power. Additionally, the proliferation of non-union jobs over the years contributed to the decline in unionization rates in these sectors.
Significant Decline in Union Membership Over the Past 40 Years
Percentage of the workforce in a union, by industry
Source: Current Population Survey, via unionstats.com
By The New York Times
Most of the strike activity observed this year has occurred within private companies. This is in contrast to 2018 and 2019, which experienced an unusual surge in walkouts in the public sector, particularly among public school teachers participating in the “Red for Ed” education strikes to demand salary increases and more school funding.
Official government statistics only account for strikes involving 1,000 or more workers. However, a database maintained by Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, which includes strikes of all sizes, has recorded 251 work stoppages so far this year, significantly more than the government’s count.
According to Kate Bronfenbrenner, a senior lecturer at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, there have been numerous smaller strikes across all industries alongside the well-known large strikes reported in the news. It remains uncertain whether this current surge in labor activity will continue, especially as the job market eventually stabilizes and workers lose their bargaining power.
Some, like Dr. Bronfenbrenner, consider the resurgence of strikes and union organizing as an enduring trend. Recent surveys indicate an increase in public support for unions, even though private sector union membership remains low. Gallup’s poll conducted in August shows that approximately 67 percent of Americans approve of labor unions, up from 54 percent a decade ago. Additionally, over a third of respondents believe that unions will become stronger in the future, compared to only 19 percent in 2018.
Dr. Bronfenbrenner emphasizes the contagious nature of large strikes that sweep across the country, noting their potential impact.
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