From the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) to the United Auto Workers (UAW) to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), labor unions have gone on massive strikes this year with tremendous results– and you can too.
These strikes received national attention and once again brought up the conversation of union memberships in America.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), union membership in this country has fallen over 10% since the early 1980s, with now only 1 in 10 workers nationwide being union members.
This decline in union membership has paralleled the rise in corporate profits alongside the decline and stagnation of working-class wages.
The BLS reports from 1948 to 2013, the average worker’s productivity increased by over 240% while wages only increased a little over 100%. Workers are doing more work for less pay.
The BLS also reported that from 1980 to 2013, the top 1% saw a 138% wage increase while the bottom 90% saw a mere 15% wage increase. The rich get richer on the backs of worker’s labor.
These staggering numbers are signs of a much bigger problem in this country that are best saved for their own story. In regard to union membership, however, the numbers support the opinion that it is better to be a union member than not.
Among full-time wage and salary workers, union members had median usual weekly earnings of $1,216 in 2022, while non-union workers had median weekly earnings of $1,029, a $10,000 difference over the course of a year.
The benefits of union membership cannot be overstated. Having an organization whose sole purpose is to better the situation of its members in the workplace is invaluable to the average working-class American.
The WGA, SAG and UAW all went on national strikes this year and each received nearly all of their demands by the time an agreement was reached with studios and motor companies.
The workers withheld their labor and held their executives’ feet to the fire for months on end and refused to compromise on their worth.
This is a massive time for labor movements in American history. There has not been as much focus on union membership in this country since the boom of unions in the 1950s.
If there was ever a time for working-class people to band together in solidarity and demand better pay, working conditions and benefits, it is now.
It can seem futile to try and make far-reaching changes that would alter the foundation of this country for the betterment of everyone.
This is a daunting task that is not likely to happen anytime soon. What can happen soon though is attempting to unionize your workplace.
By standing in solidarity with your coworkers in whatever field you are in, you make yourselves so much stronger. By withholding your labor, you show the true value of that labor and how everything falls apart without you.
Imagine if everyone in your workplace decided to not come to work Monday morning. You receive calls and emails threatening disciplinary action, but you stand unwavering. How many days would it take for your bosses to call you to a meeting with an offer that would get all of you back to work?
This is not about greed or unrealistic expectations. The money is there, it just very rarely goes to the workers. Instead, CEOs and higher-ups in companies receive bonuses and wage increases while the workers making the wheel turn are left with scraps.
Recognize your worth. Organize in your local community. Strike if your demands are not met. Stand in solidarity with your peers and be the change you would like to see. Change will not happen unless you make it so.
But of course, that’s just one man’s opinion.
Categories: Opinion
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