Another Labor Day has come and gone.  This weekend is set aside to celebrate our workers and typically unions.  For decades each Labor Day we have heard that the tide has turned, and unions are coming back.  Over the past few years, union activism and activity have “popped.” But what has resulted from this recent uptick in union activity?

An 8/28/24 article by Radish Research doesn’t think so much has changed recently and provides some statistics to prove it. In 2023 the private sector saw 93,000 workers participating in organizing elections. One year later (2024), statistics show organizing elections on pace to have 107,000 workers voting in union elections. A 15% increase over last year. Very nice.

But let’s look at the big picture. The Radish Research article “The State of the Unions?” points out that 93,000 workers is only 0.09% of the 108.4 million production and non-supervisory workers in our national private sector labor force. In 2024 the projected number of workers participating in union elections would be just .10% of all workers. The article points out that this pace is not enough to even keep up with the overall growth of the labor force let alone result in an increased union membership density in the U.S. labor force.

As of last year, private sector union membership sat at 6% of the total U.S. workforce. Public employee union membership is quite a bit more as a percentage of government workers but combine the two populations and unionization as a percentage of the total national workforce is just under 11%. The 2024 numbers are not out yet, but at the pace of organizing and elections noted above union membership as a percentage of the total workforce is not going to move much at all. And this is with the “most labor friendly” administration in Washington DC history.

So, what continues to be the problem? Union leaders continue to point to the labor laws. Union leaders blame the labor laws that do not protect them enough.  Yet with a union friendly administration that controls the National Labor Relations Board that in turn controls the rules and regulations around organizing and union elections that has been overturning rulings and policies in favor of unions since the Biden Administration took office, they still do not believe the labor laws favor them enough.

Labor has been lobbying for an overhaul of the National Labor Relations Act for a long, long time. Sitting in Congress right now is a bill that would tip labor law considerably in favor of unions. This is the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act for short).  If this law passes, employers would (among other things) be gagged, tied up, and put in a closet before and during a union organizing campaign. BUT as this article aptly points out “if Kamala Harris wins the Presidency, and if Democrats control Congress, Harris will have to overcome a certain filibuster in the Senate and wavering support from “moderate” Democrats facing unified opposition from employers.” Kind of a challenge even when everything labor law wise is going in unions favor. 

So as another Labor Day passes with all the “rah, rah, go union hype,” ASE recommends our members keep their eye on the employment fundamentals. Educate your supervisors and managers on how to effectively lead employees. Listen to employees and respond. Pay fairly. Doing this will make it difficult for unions to come knocking at your door and keep your workforce your workforce and not some third-party agency services (a union).

ASE can help you with this by the way. Happy Labor Day!

Source; Radish Research. The State of the Unions? (8/29/24)