An Overview of US Workers’ Current Organizing Efforts and Collective Actions

Abstract

American workers are currently engaged in an upsurge in collective actions aimed at achieving a stronger voice and representation at work; this desire for increased voice at work is also evident in survey data. However, union organizing drives in the United States typically meet with strong employer resistance, and such resistance reduces the likelihood that the organizing effort will be successful. In addition to unions, a broad array of other efforts has been initiated to strengthen worker voice and representation. The authors discuss these efforts, including worker centers, and observe that there is no “one size fits all” approach to contemporary worker organizing.

Race, Repression and the Future of New Labor Activism

“…These dynamics raise the question that concludes Kochan et al's (2022) paper and guides the discussion here. We know that labor activism is surging, with workers pursuing and supporting union membership and seeking out new ways to organize for different working conditions.…”

“…What impact can the new wave of labor activism have on these issues? Black workers are open about how these dynamics adversely impact their occupational opportunities, and Kochan et al (2022) find that employees cite a voice gap in which they lack input into workplace procedures that affect them. Some of the areas where workers cite the largest gaps–abuse protections, antidiscrimination initiatives, and measures of respect towards employees—are sites that are likely to be fraught for Black workers.…”

“…Kochan et al (2022) hint at several ways this can happen. They note that as labor activism has shifted to meet the needs of today's workers in the current economy, one approach has involved organizing workers around categories related to identity.…”

“…In their 2021 Worker Empowerment Research Network (WERN) report, Kochan and coauthors (Kochan et al, 2022) offer several important and provocative notes about the future of labor organizing. Noting that union membership has undergone a consistent and pronounced decline since the 1970s, the authors draw attention to a recent surge of labor activism.…”

What Can Unions Do? An Impact Estimate for an Increase in the US Private-Sector Unionization Rate on Workers’ Earnings

“…Recent writings suggest that US workers are engaged in a major upsurge in union organizing—activities ultimately aimed at achieving a collective bargaining agreement—to strengthen their voice and economic power. Kochan et al (this issue) describe a significant upsurge in union organizing activities and election success in the US during 2022. Broadening the historical scope, Figure 2a shows union organizing activities under the NLRB and election success over the past almost 100 years based on statistics published in NLRB annual reports.…”