Robert Reich: The Stunning Rebirth Of The American Labor Movement – OpEd
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Last Friday, Volkswagen employees in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted overwhelmingly to join the United Auto Workers union. This marks a major turning point for organized labor. The victory in Chattanooga is the first successful organizing drive of an automaker outside of Detroit’s Big Three and the first major union victory in the South. For 30 years, from 1946 to the late 1970s, the American middle class expanded largely because American labor unions won increases in wages and benefits. But since the late 1970s, union power has been waning. As a result, the wages of production workers have been nearly stagnant, adjusted for inflation. But here’s the good news: The pendulum is now starting to swing back. Recent contracts negotiated by various unions provide significant pay increases and more job security. Union membership grew by 191,000 workers last year. Most Americans are solidly behind unions, with approval of labor unions near 70 percent. The rise in labor activism and public support can be attributed to the harsh inequalities exposed by the pandemic, the rise in populist politics, and the pro-union stance of President Joe Biden.
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