Labor Day has a lot to offer from the Hot Labor Summer to the Hollywood strikes
Labor and Unions: What is Happening in the U.S. Labor and Economic Development during a “Hot Labor Summer”?
“We have seen that there are examples where employers come to the table… sit down, bargain, and arrive at results,” acting Labor Secretary Julie Su told NPR in an interview. ” I believe that it is continuing to motivate people for a hot labor summer.”
UPS narrowly averted what would have been one of the largest strikes in U.S. history earlier this summer. The agreement to raise hourly wages for full- and part-time workers over five years was unanimously approved by its members in August.
Unions also have a friendly administration in the White House right now. Vice President Harris supports organized labor and it makes our middle class and economy stronger.
For now, unions have the good fortune of strong public support. 75% of people support the UAW in contract talks with the big auto makers, according to a Gallup poll.
That’s the prevalent thinking at unions. Employers are scrambling to find enough workers in a strong jobs market, as companies have racked up large profits during the Pandemic.
There are a lot of obstacles. There is still a lot of uncertainty about the economy and there is stiff opposition from many employers.
It feels like organized labor has their own wind at their back. A tight job market has given workers increased bargaining power, polls show public support for unions is high, and the Biden administration is on their side.
The unemployment rate has been under 4% for 19 consecutive months, the longest such run in decades. Competition is pushing up wages for people at the bottom of the income ladder.
The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates aggressively since last year in a bid to fight inflation and the impact of those higher borrowing costs are still filtering through to the broader economy.
The Battle of the Unions: The Status of Starbucks and the Politics of Auto-Positive Employees in the 21st Century
Starbucks has also fought hard to dissuade people from unionizing. Baristas have been fired and stores have been closed. Federal labor officials have cited the coffee company numerous times, but Starbucks continues to deny it’s done anything illegal.
And there are limits to how much help the White House can provide. The administration has taken steps to boost union participation in public works projects, for example. But it’s gotten nowhere with unions’ biggest priority — passing the PRO Act, which would make it easier for private sector workers to organize and harder for companies to push back.
And the UAW contract with Ford, Stellantis and General Motors is due to expire in mid-September. The union representing auto makers is demanding big pay hikes and benefit increases and are ready to strike if they don’t get what they want.
Detroit is seeing auto makers pouring billions into electric vehicles, which require fewer workers to assemble, because of the popularity of streaming services.
That makes people uncertain on both sides. Workers want a say in how these two industries should navigate those changes and anxious employers want to preserve their flexibility as much as they can.
The Up First Los Angeles Strippers Unionization Campaign and a Political Warfare between Theater Workers and the City of Los Angeles (Lo Calabi-Yau)
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Hollywood has stopped functioning as a result of a rare dual strike by writers and actors. Future movies and TV shows are being delayed if not outright canceled, while the Emmy Awards have been postponed from September to January. The strikers have lost work, and very nearly their health insurance, too. And the economic impacts are being felt far beyond LA.
The dancers at the Los Angeles topless dive bar voted unanimously to unionize, making them the only group of organized strippers in the US. It was the final step in a protracted 15-month battle with their employer, the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar.
Outdoor retailer REI has a progressive reputation — it’s even run as a co-op — but hasn’t voluntarily recognized its newly unionized workers. Now some are accusing the company of breaking labor laws by threatening and disciplining organizers, which it denies.
The first votes of visual effects workers at Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta have been to unionize. They hope to get the same protections as other crew members when they join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
Thousands of hotel workers in LA are striking for higher wages. Some travelers are faced with a bind, including during the weekend of July 4th and the political science conference this Labor Day weekend.
