What’s Causing the Surge in Labor Unions, Strikes Across the Country?

What’s behind the surge in labor union activity seen across the United States? 

Union Efforts: A CNN Business (Lean Left bias) article broke down recent accomplishments and setbacks by unions, from the Writers Guild of America strike that ended recently with a new contract to the threat of a railroad workers strike late last year that ended with President Biden imposing a contract on the union that did not include additional sick days, angering some union members. The article also notes that unions are receiving broad support from the public, with a majority of people polled stating that unions are good for the economy. 

“Perfect Storm”: An article in the Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) contextualized the growing labor movement, describing it as a “perfect storm” of a list of factors. For one, more young people are interested in joining unions. Additionally, lingering labor shortages stemming from the pandemic are creating an “unusually hot” labor market, benefiting workers in bargaining with employers. Lastly, Biden’s pro-union stances have empowered workers, who believe that they have “allies in the executive branch.” 

Economic Impact: A CNBC (Center bias) article cited Department of Labor statistics to state that union-management conflicts have resulted in the “most missed hours of work in some 23 years.” In August, 4.1 million workdays were missed due to strikes, the largest single-month total since 2000. So far this year, 7.4 million workdays have been missed due to strikes, compared to 636 by this point in 2022.