Strengthen unions and pre-empt state "right-to-work" laws
One big reason America was far more equal in the 1950s and 1960s
than now is unions were stronger then. That gave workers bargaining power to
get a fair share of the economy’s gains – and unions helped improve wages and
working conditions for everyone.
But as union membership has weakened – from more than a third of
all private-sector workers belonging unions in the 1950s to fewer than 7
percent today – the bargaining power of average workers has all but
disappeared.
In fact, the decline of the American middle class mirrors almost
exactly the decline of American labor union membership.
So how do we strengthen unions?
First, make it easier to form a union, with a simple majority of
workers voting up or down.
Right now, long delays and procedural hurdles give big employers
plenty of time to whip up campaigns against unions, even threatening they’ll
close down and move somewhere else if a union is voted in.
Second, build in real penalties on companies that violate labor
laws by firing workers who try to organize a union or intimidating
others.
These moves are illegal, but nowadays the worst that can happen
is employers get slapped on the wrist. If found guilty they have to repay lost
wages to the workers they fire. Some employers treat this as a cost of doing
business. That must be stopped. Penalties should be large enough to stop
this illegality.
Finally – this one has been in the news lately, and if you only
remember one thing, remember this: We must enact a federal law that pre-empts
so-called state “right-to-work” laws.
Don’t be fooled by the “right to work” name. These laws allow workers to get all the benefits of having a union without paying union dues. It’s a back door destroying unions. If no one pays dues, unions have no way to provide any union benefits. And that means lower wages.
In fact, wages in right-to-work states are lower on average than
wages in non-right-to-work states, by an average of about $1500 a year. Workers
in right-to-work states are also less likely to have employer-sponsored health
insurance and pension coverage.
When unions are weakened by right-to-work laws, all of a state’s
workers are hurt.
American workers need a union to bargain on their behalf.
Low-wage workers in big-box retail stores and fast-food chains need a union
even more.
If we want average Americans to get a fair share of the gains
from economic growth, they need to be able to unionize.
ROBERT B. REICH, Chancellor’s Professor of
Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at
the Blum Center for Developing Economies, was Secretary of Labor in the Clinton
administration. Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet
secretaries of the twentieth century. He has written thirteen books, including
the best sellers “Aftershock" and “The Work of Nations." His latest,
"Beyond Outrage," is now out in paperback. He is also a founding
editor of the American Prospect magazine and chairman of Common Cause. His new
film, "Inequality for All," is now available on Netflix, iTunes, DVD,
and On Demand.