The Daily Are Unions Making a Comeback?
May 2, 2022
Noam Scheiber, a reporter for The New York Times specializing in workers and the workplace, delves into the recent surge in union membership, highlighting a 60% increase in union petitions. He draws intriguing parallels between today's revival and the labor movements of the 1930s, suggesting economic factors and worker frustrations are driving this change. Discussions also link the struggles of college grads post-Great Recession to current unionization efforts, emphasizing how historical lessons can inform today’s labor dynamics.
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Unions, Wages, and Inequality
- Union membership historically correlates with better worker wages and less income inequality.
- Reviving the labor movement could potentially reverse negative economic trends.
Rapid Union Growth
- Union growth isn't solely driven by bad conditions; multiple factors must align.
- However, when conditions do align, union membership can grow rapidly, as seen in the 1930s.
GM and the Great Depression
- During the Great Depression, the auto industry, particularly GM, was a major economic driver.
- Despite GM's growth, workers faced anxieties from potential layoffs during factory retooling.