Better wages and health care may always face headwinds in Washington, but unions are striking to win them directly.
By
It was called “Striketober.” While politicians in Washington bickered over infrastructure, jobs, and the social safety net, unionized workers across the heartland went on strike to get their fair share directly.
At one point in
October, over 90,000 unionized workers issued strike authorizations — including
10,000 John Deere United Auto Workers (UAW) members, 37,000 nurses and other
health care workers at Kaiser Permanente, and 60,000 film and television
workers organized with International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
(IATSE).
That trend has
continued into November, as John Deere workers in Iowa, Kansas, and Illinois
recently rejected the latest contract proposal from
management and are continuing their strike.
In total, over 22,000 workers across the country are
currently on strike. From hospital staff in West Virginia, steelworkers in
Ohio, and educators in Pennsylvania to student workers in New York City,
workers are rising up against poverty wages, long hours, and dangerous working
conditions.
Decades ago, when unions were strong, it wasn’t uncommon to see millions of workers on strike each year. But union membership has rapidly declined over the last few decades, from a peak of over 33 percent of American workers in 1944 to just under 11 percent in 2020.
And as unions
weakened, inequality skyrocketed. The share of income going to the top one
percent of Americans has doubled from 11 percent in the 1940s to over 22
percent today. It is this pervasive inequality that is driving tens of
thousands of U.S. workers to strike.
At John Deere,
workers have expressed growing frustration over proposals from management to
slash pensions and wage increases while the company has enjoyed record-breaking
profits. John Deere is projected to rake in up to $5.9 billion this year, far exceeding its previous high
of $3.5 billion in 2013.
Meanwhile, CEO
John May gave himself a 160 percent raise — and shareholders a 17 percent
raise on dividends. As one worker described it, “We are the last thing they think
about.”
President
Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, while reduced in scope due to powerful
corporate Democrats wielding their influence, includes a number of policies to strengthen worker
protections and hold corporations accountable.
One provision in
particular, lifted directly from the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO)
Act, would fine employers $50,000 to $100,000 for each violation of the
National Labor Relations Act. The bill would also invest over $2 billion in
enforcement of workers’ rights, helping government officials more effectively
protect workers by investigating and enforcing labor laws.
That would be a big victory. Better wages, health care, paid leave, and real curbs on inequality may always face headwinds in Washington. But as workers across the country are rediscovering, a strong union can win those things directly.
is the managing editor of Inequality.org at the Institute for
Policy Studies. This op-ed was distributed by
OtherWords.org.