Union Organizing on the Rise, But It’s Not Your Parents’ Union

Unionization efforts in the U.S. are on the rise. According to the National Labor Relations Board, union election petitions jumped by 57 percent from October 2021 to March of this year, and a new Gallup poll finds Americans’ approval of labor unions is at its highest point since 1965. Even places that say they have favorable working conditions are seeing unionization efforts. Two Trader Joe’s stores, one in Massachusetts and another in Minneapolis, recently voted to unionize. With Labor Day around the corner, we speak with Sarah Beth Ryther, an employee and organizer from the Trader Joe’s in Minneapolis about the reasons she and many of her co-workers wanted an independent union. Then, Jason Greer , a labor relations expert and former board agent with the NLRB, tells us how the pandemic is playing into union drives. As a board agent, he worked with employees, employers and unions to investigate allegations of unfair labor practices.  

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Further Reading

Trader Joe’s Workers Vote to Form Union at Massachusetts Store  

How Union Efforts at Amazon and Starbucks Are Playing Out Differently 

Starbucks Alleges Federal Labor Officials Improperly Handled Union Elections 

The Workplace Report 

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