Freconomics radio is sponsored by toyota tundra, the most powerful and capable truck that toyota has ever made. The a f l was founded in the 18 eighties with sam gompers as its first president. Union participation today is near and all time low as a share of american workers, just over ten%. It is a completely different story in many european economies. Iceland has the highest union membership, more than 90 % of the force. Sweden has 66%, Belgium, 54%,. italy, 34%), ireland and the u K, around 25%. Whatever case, labor unions in europe often have a different relationship with firm spepe to
Organized labor hasn’t had this much public support in 50 years, and yet the percentage of Americans in a union is near a record low. A.F.L-C.I.O. president Liz Shuler tries to explain this gap — and persuade Stephen Dubner that “the folks who brought you the weekend” still have the leverage to fix a broken economy.