WORKER POWER

Reclaiming Worker Power: The Case for a Strong Labor Union Revival

Workers built America. Railroads, factories, skyscrapers, shipyards, mines, and bridges were not the products of boardrooms. They were carved into existence by laborers. But for most of American history, those workers had to fight tooth and nail just to be treated with dignity. That fight gave birth to one of the most powerful engines of economic justice the country has ever known: labor unions.

Unions gave workers a voice. They fought for better wages, safer conditions, and shorter hours. They created the American middle class. But over time, they were weakened by corporate backlash, political sabotage, and systemic neglect.

Today, the U.S. labor movement is at a crossroads. Union membership has collapsed, inequality has skyrocketed, and corporate power is as aggressive as ever.

If we want to restore fairness, stability, and true democracy to our economy, we must rebuild the labor union movement and do it now.

A Brief History: The Rise of American Labor Unions

U.S. labor unions date back to the early 19th century when workers in emerging industries began to organize against abusive practices in rapidly industrializing cities.

Key milestones include:

• 1866: The National Labor Union, the first national labor federation, is formed, advocating for an 8-hour workday.
• 1886: The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded under Samuel Gompers and focused on skilled labor and collective bargaining.
• 1935: The Wagner Act (National Labor Relations Act) guarantees workers the right to unionize and bargain collectively. It also established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
• 1930s–1950s: The labor movement reaches its peak. The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) organizes mass production workers. Union membership climbs to over 35% of the workforce.
• During this period, unions help win Social Security, Medicare, the minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and the 40-hour workweek.

The Decline: Corporate Counteroffensive and Legislative Sabotage

The postwar golden age of unions began to erode in the late 1970s.

• 1970s–1980s: Deindustrialization, globalization, and automation begin to shrink unionized industries like steel and auto manufacturing.
• 1981: President Reagan fires over 11,000 striking air traffic controllers, sending a message that corporate America has the upper hand. Employers begin adopting aggressive anti-union tactics.
• Right-to-work laws, enabled by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, spread nationwide, weakening union funding and solidarity.
• Corporations increasingly hire union-busting consultants, threaten to close facilities, and intimidate workers who try to organize.
• Public perception of unions is eroded by media narratives of corruption and inefficiency—often fed by industries that benefit from weak labor laws.

Today, only about 10% of American workers and 6% of private-sector workers belong to a union.

Meanwhile, income inequality is worse than at any time since the Gilded Age, and CEO pay has exploded to over 350 times the average worker's wage.

Global Comparisons: What Strong Labor Movements Can Achieve

The decline of American unions is not inevitable. It is the product of deliberate political and corporate choices.

In many advanced democracies, strong labor unions are still central to national life, and their economies are more equitable.

Consider:

• Germany: Workers have guaranteed seats on corporate boards through a system of co-determination. Union density is over 17%, and collective bargaining covers nearly 50% of the workforce.
• Sweden: Around 70% of workers are union members. Unions help administer unemployment insurance and negotiate wages nationally.
• Norway, Denmark, and Finland: Similar high union membership and strong collective bargaining coverage, contributing to some of the lowest income inequality in the world.
• France: Though union membership is low (~10%), legal protections for union-negotiated agreements cover 90% of the workforce.

In these countries, unions are not viewed as threats to the economy. They are seen as partners in national prosperity

How to Rebuild Labor in America

A strong labor movement won’t rebuild itself. It will take bold policy, political will, and a cultural shift. Here’s how:

1. Pass the PRO Act

The Protecting the Right to Organize Act would:

• Ban “captive audience” anti-union meetings.
• Penalize employers for retaliating against union efforts.
• Make it easier to form unions through card check recognition.
• Reclassify misclassified “independent contractors” as employees.

2. Guarantee Sectoral Bargaining

Like in Europe, unions can negotiate industry-wide contracts, not just one workplace at a time. This levels the playing field and prevents a race to the bottom.

3. Mandate Worker Representation

Require worker-elected board members on large corporate boards and establish works councils to give employees a voice in management decisions.

4. Strengthen Federal Enforcement

Fully fund the NLRB, prosecute union-busting as a felony, and create public legal support for organizing workers.

5. Incentivize Unionization

Offer tax benefits to companies that allow unionization without interference—and penalize those that violate labor rights.

6. Reframe the Narrative

Unions are not relics of the past. They are the most effective force for economic justice created by working people. We must teach labor history, support union culture, and fight against decades of corporate propaganda.

A Word to Corporate America

A revitalized labor movement is not your enemy. Strong unions create stable markets, reduce turnover, raise productivity, and build consumer demand. Workers with decent wages spend more, build wealth, and stabilize communities.

If corporations want long-term growth, they must stop treating labor as a cost to be minimized and start treating it as a partner in prosperity.

Unions don’t just protect workers. They protect democracy itself.

Democracy Requires a Strong Labor Movement

At its heart, a labor union is simply this: a group of people who believe they deserve a say in how their labor is used and its fruits are shared.

That belief is not radical. It is foundational to democracy.

Labor has been present in every era when democracy has expanded, and it has been the first target every time democracy has contracted.

It’s time to rebuild. To organize. To reclaim what was taken.

The labor movement built the middle class. It can rebuild the nation.

William James Spriggs