What Happens when Unions Sit Down, Arrive at Results… Continued Efforts in the Big 3: A Hot Labor Summer
“There are examples where employers sit down, bargain and arrive at results,” said Julie Su, acting Labor Secretary. “I think that is continuing to inspire what people have called a hot labor summer.”
Unions have already notched some big wins this year, including at UPS — and they are looking for more, with writers and actors striking in Hollywood and the United Auto Workers union playing hardball in contract negotiations with the Big 3 automakers.
Unions also have a friendly administration in the White House right now. Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her support for organized labor last week saying unions “make our middle class and our entire economy more strong.”
Public support for unions is strong for the moment. Autoworkers, for example, point to a Gallup poll showing 75% of people support the UAW in its contract talks with the big auto makers.
That’s the prevalent thinking at unions. Employers have been scrambling to find enough workers in a resilient jobs market as companies have racked up big profits during the swine flu.
There are some big obstacles. There’s still uncertainty about the economic outlook, even though many employers oppose unionizing efforts.
And now, organized labor feels like they have their winds at their back. A tight job market has given workers increased bargaining power, polls show public support for unions is high, and the Biden administration is on their side.
The unemployment rate has been under 4% for 19 straight months — the longest such stretch in decades. Competition for workers is leading to higher wages for those on the bottom of the income ladder.
The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates aggressively since last year in a bid to fight inflation and the impact of those higher borrowing costs are still filtering through to the broader economy.
The UAW Contract: An Overview of Union Action in the Automobile and Auto Industry – How the United Auto Workers Will Stand Up and Dispute
Starbucks is trying to stop people from unionizing. Stores have been closed and baristas have been fired. The company has been accused of doing illegal things, but Starbucks is denying it.
The White House has some limits to how much help it can give. There are steps the administration has taken to increase union participation. The PRO Act, which would make it easier for private sector workers to organize and harder for companies to resist, is the union’s most important priority.
The UAW contract with the three auto makers is due to end in mid-September. The union representing auto makers is demanding big pay hikes and benefit increases and are ready to strike if they don’t get what they want.
The popularity of streaming services is going to have a major affect on Hollywood while Detroit is seeing auto makers shift towards electric vehicles which more likely require fewer workers to assemble.
That creates uncertainty on both sides. Workers want a say in how these two industries should navigate those changes and anxious employers want to preserve their flexibility as much as they can.
Los Angeles, New York, And Atlanta Strippers: The Strike to Unite in Hollywood, Las Vegas, and the Emmy Awards: The All-Hollywood Standstill
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Hollywood has been brought to a standstill by a rare dual strike. Future movies and TV shows are being delayed if not outright canceled, while the Emmy Awards have been postponed from September to January. The strikers have lost both their jobs and their health insurance. And the economic impacts are being felt far beyond LA.
Dancers at a topless dive bar in Los Angeles unanimously voted to unionize in May, making them the only group of organized strippers in the U.S. It was the final step in a protracted 15-month battle with their employer, the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar.
Outdoor retailer REI has a progressive reputation — it’s even run as a co-op — but hasn’t voluntarily recognized its newly unionized workers. Now some are accusing the company of breaking labor laws by threatening and disciplining organizers, which it denies.
The workers at the Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta studios have voted to unionize. They hope to become part of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) — and get the same protections and benefits offered to other crew members.
A group of hotel workers are on strike for higher wages and other benefits. That’s put travelers in a bind, including during the weekend of July 4th and Labor Day, when there is a political science conference.