The United States has witnessed more than 230 strikes involving over 320,000 workers in the current year. These strikes, coupled with significant union victories, mark a reawakening for organized labor, making unions “cool again,” according to EJ Dionne of the Washington Post. Dionne highlights that only 10% of the American workforce is currently organized to advocate for their rights in areas like benefits, wages, and working conditions, but he identifies several positive indicators indicating that “labor’s long decline is over.” Notably, the Biden administration’s strong support for labor rights, with Dionne dubbing President Biden “the most outspokenly pro-labor president since Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.” One example of this support is the recent proposal by the White House to extend overtime eligibility to around 3.6 million workers.
Moreover, the National Labor Relations Board has made significant advances, including a rule streamlining union elections and another demanding that employers acknowledge a union if a majority of workers have requested it, provided the employer engaged in unfair labor practices prior to the vote. Additionally, a recent Gallup poll indicates that 67% of Americans now support unions. AFL-CIO chief Liz Shuler states, “Working people are reclaiming our power.” Heidi Shierholz, president of the pro-labor Economic Policy Institute, emphasizes that unions have regained prominence after years of neglect. Dionne asserts that the topic of unions is no longer being overlooked, as evidenced by discussions and initiatives from the president and onwards this Labor Day. Read the full column by Dionne here. (Read more Labor Day stories.)
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