From baristas, to warehouse workers, more and more employees are starting to organize to demand better labor rights in some of America’s hottest companies like Apple, Target, and Chipotle, as well as in industries that were previously considered non-unionizable.
In the first half of the year unions won 641 elections, the most in almost 20 years, based on analysis of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) data by Bloomberg Law.
The number of unions has increased exponentially. Union victories have been recorded in household names of other companies such as Starbucks, which has had more than 230 unionized stores this year.
Total there were 80% more NLRB wins in 2022 than in 2021. Those victories represent more than twice as many workers as last year. Unions won nearly 77% of their elections this year.
The current economic situation, derived from the Covid-19 pandemic and its recovery, would be one of the factors that led to the increase in union organization. At the height of the pandemic, several companies called employees “essential workers”, but they were not treated that way on issues of wages, benefits and safety.
Despite the organization of many workers, the road can be complicated if employers do not cooperate. One example is Starbucks, which has so far only begun negotiating with three of the more than 230 stores that have unionized. The company was recently accused of firing 85 workers involved in union organizing in the country.
Many unions have to resort to collective action, such as strikes, to get companies to bargain in good faith. In the first half of this year, 180 strikes were recorded, an increase of 76% compared to last yearaccording to data provided by Cornell’s ILR Labor Action Tracker strike and protest database project.
The subject surprises. More and more people have joined these collective actions and equally, the positive impression of the people is increasing.
About 71% of Americans approve of unions in 2022, according to Gallup poll data. The last time such high approval was recorded was in 1965, when union membership rates were more than double what they are now, says research site Vox.
It may interest you:
-Etsy sellers on strike: demand increased transaction fees
-Workers at a Chipotle in Michigan are the first in the company to unionize in the US.
-Target Store Workers Join Starbucks and Call for a Union Vote
Source: La Opinion
