Point of view: are unions gaining strength?

After months of organizing from the Congressional Workers’ Union, the House of Representatives voted 217-202 last week on recognizing the right of Congress workers to unite in unions. Voting took place along party lines, and every Republican in the House of Representatives opposed the move. This party split combined with Biden-era politics underscores the growing political momentum and sustained split of alliances in the United States.

The trade union debate is certainly not limited to DC; in recent months, large companies such as Amazon and Starbucks have faced an increase in union mobilization. In fact, workers at more than 250 Starbucks sites have petitioned for union elections, accumulating 50 union victories across the country. The National Labor Relations Council (NLRB), the state body responsible for issuing petitions, recently reported that seals increased by 57% in the first six months of fiscal year 2022.

However, this growth can only be a wave of high-profile outstanding rather than steady movement. Actual union membership in the United States remains close to a historic low. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 6.1% of the private sector In 2021, workers were members of the union – still five times less than state employees, 34% of whom are union members.

Overall union membership in the United States was in decline since the 1950swhen nearly one-third of American workers belonged to unions. The organized labor movement first noticed significant growth in the 1930s amid the Great Depression and a favorable political environment.

Recent reports suggest this parallels between the 1930s and today could lead to a revival of unions, cit difficult economic conditions and the pro-union government.

President Biden has repeatedly promised to be “the most pro-union president in American history. ” Most notably, his administration changed the political composition of the NLRB to a pro-union, pro-union majority. This may be effective because the NLRB, which enforces U.S. labor laws regarding unions, has the power to repeal or amend precedents such as the standard for determining independent contractor status.

The status of an independent contractor has been a particularly contentious issue for trucking, as it could affect the classification of many owner-operators. Last May during Biden’s presidency The Ministry of Labor has repealed the rule of the Trump era that was established in favor of independent contractor status. This issue, like unions, can dramatically change the business between employers and employees.

However, regardless of whether the unions return or not, there is already a clear shift in the employer-employee relationship after COVID-19. The big resignation came in the second year with a record 4.5 million Americans are leaving work in March 2022despite rising inflation and warnings of an impending recession.

With the midterm elections approaching, recent efforts by unions to capture headlines combined with the decision of Democrats in the House of Representatives to codify the right of their employees to unite may force politicians who develop unions to view the issue as politically advantageous ground for election year. Both voters and businesses will need to monitor how this issue unfolds with the potential to shape the practice of employers and employees in a variety of industries, and especially in the transportation industry.