Here’s something to think about that’s sad but true: Labor unions in America are weaker than in other industrialized nations. Today, in our country, just 10% of all workers are in a union—the lowest number since 1983. In the private sector, less than 7% of workers are in a union.
This low overall membership number is largely because corporations have become very skilled at aggressively fighting unionization. Judicial rulings, including from the Supreme Court, have also helped to erode the organizing efforts of workers that resulted in fewer workers seeing the value of becoming a union member…and even being discouraged from joining a labor union.
The negative consequences are enormous. They are evident in countless ways, from diminished workers’ protections to the diminished political power of labor unions. Getting workers’ rights legislation passed in many states—and in Washington, D.C.—is often met with insurmountable hurdles, where profit over people wins out and workplace safety takes a backseat to production quotas.
It should be noted that despite the dismal numbers in overall union membership, conversely, 36% of workers in the public sector are union members—largely government workers. Unfortunately, this number may diminish, too, due to factors such as the recent Supreme Court ruling that overturned the Chevron Doctrine of 1984, which said the courts must defer to the knowledge and technical experience of appropriate federal agencies—like OSHA—when working out the nitty-gritty details of legislation.
Opportunities do exist to expand union membership. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, for example, has taken the initiative in a tireless grassroots recruitment campaign that includes supporting Amazon workers in their organizing efforts.
There are, however, other groups that also see an opportunity for recruitment: nonunion recruitment. For example, the New York City branch of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has expressed dissatisfaction with unions, saying they are not being aggressive enough about workers’ rights and inequality issues pertaining to persons of color. This is counter to the fact that Black people constitute the largest percentage of union workers, at 11.8%, with whites at 9.8%, and Hispanics at 9%.
Some DSAers have tried to work from within, attempting to gain a foothold in several unions by seeking labor endorsements for their candidacies or support for their policy initiatives. Vincent Alvarez, president of the NYC Central Labor Council, has been quoted as saying, “It makes no sense that at a time when solidarity is needed to fight for real gains in economic opportunity and social justice for working families that the DSA would sow the seeds of disunity by targeting
some of the most progressive unions in our city with plans for infiltration and disruption.”
Labor unions need to get back to basics. It’s long overdue.
Even though Ralph Chaplin wrote the song “Solidarity Forever” in 1915 for the industrial workers of World War I, its refrain is as relevant and important today as it was more than 100 years ago: “When the union’s inspiration thru the worker’s blood shall run, there can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun, yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one, but the union makes us strong. Solidarity forever, solidarity forever, solidarity forever, for the union makes us strong.”
It is important to also keep in mind the words of other great advocates of labor unions, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy and even the Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Dr. King told us that “The labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation but enlarged it. By raising the living standard of millions, labor miraculously created a market for industry and lifted the whole nation to undreamed of levels of production. Those who attack labor forget these simple truths, but history remembers them.”
President Kennedy said: “Our labor unions are not narrow, self-seeking groups. They have raised wages, shortened hours and provided supplemental benefits. Through collective bargaining and grievance procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the shop floor.”
And President Eisenhower told us that America was better off because of unions and that “Only a fool would try to deprive working men and women of the right to join the union of their choice.”
With so many of us now focusing on summer plans for some well-deserved “R’n’R,” Labor Day may seem far away—or worse, an end to the fair-weather fun and something to avoid thinking about. Preparations for the Labor Day Parade along Fifth Avenue—to be held after the holiday on September 7 this year—are already underway, but in this current political climate, parades are not enough. There can no longer be more parade marchers than parade spectators. We need both. They symbolize that we can’t let union membership become an endangered species.
We must fight extinction! We must dispel the thought, held by some, that unions have done little for working families, or that they are easily replaced or obsolete. Unlike dolphins, the DSA, and typewriters, unions have the resources and a long history of proven results to fight back. And now is the time for us to do it.
Labor leaders throughout New York State, where union membership is among the highest in the nation at 24%, have made it crystal-clear to our elected officials and candidates that labor unions matter. Not only did they build the middle class in America in the 1950s, but they are our nation’s best way to ensure that future generations will have a middle class in 2050.
We need to make sure now that our own children and grandchildren are not left out. No one can fault us for that, and many should want to join us. We need to use every opportunity to remind our elected leaders that labor still has a powerful voice, supported by millions of votes and campaign dollars. That always seems to get their attention!
One more thing: In New York, there is a sense that whether you’re in a public or private union, we’re all in the same family. An assault on one is an assault on all of us. The labor movement needs to approach future challenges, as we have done before when facing other major challenges: with unity and fervor. It’s all but certain that we will fight our fights mostly on our own.
That does not mean we shouldn’t seek allies. Certainly, mutual interests can bring together even the most unlikely bedfellows. We sought and received the help of nonunion groups in the past who saw the push to lessen the role of labor unions for what it really is: an attack on democracy perpetrated by the special interests of the well-funded corporate 1%.
Simply put, there is no substitute for labor unions. Sometimes we forget that. Some never knew that or ignored the fact, but history reaffirms: The 40-hour work week, health benefits, workplace safety standards, $17-an-hour minimum pay, paid vacation and family leave are just some of our hard-fought—and won—battles.
History also teaches us that especially in times of crisis, from World Wars to pandemics, labor unions proved to be not just about a movement, or a moment. They consist of dedicated workers and leaders who pitch in…who take charge…who are relied upon to quell fear, hold a hand, and provide a way for everyone to feel they are going to be okay.
In a world with so much chaos and change, both man-made and natural, now is the time to understand that unions are a stabilizing force. Unions represent a unique combination: aggressive, progressive, and necessary. Our history proves it. Our history didn’t begin today. Our history is a roadmap for tomorrow.
Gregory Floyd is president of Teamsters Local 237 and vice president-at-large of the General Executive Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.