On Labor Day 2022, the U.S labor movement found itself in better shape than it has been in years. According to a new Gallup poll, 71% of American approve of labor unions, up dramatically from 48% in 2009, and not far from the high of 75% in 1957. Another new poll, from the Pew Research Center, found that nearly 6 in 10 of U.S. adults agree that the large reduction over the past several decades in union jobs has been bad for the country. And, as reported recently in Fast Company, 70% of the skilled workers surveyed said that they would consider joining a union if given the chance, something that almost half of them said they would have rejected in the past.
The National Labor Relations Board reported in July, 2022 that, during the first nine months of Fiscal Year 2022 (October 1–June 30), representation petitions filed at the NLRB were up 58%, going from 1,197 to 1, 892. In fact, by May 25, FY2022 petitions had surpassed the total number of petitions filed in all of FY 2021.
Traditionally, a union would look for an individual worker or group to start an organizing campaign in a business. And that still happens, as shown by the Apple Store workers in Maryland who joined the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in July 2022. But in the past year or so, workers in companies like Amazon and Starbucks are getting together to form their own unions. Some of the new unions, like those at Activation Blizzard and Chipotle, get help from an established organization (Communications Workers of America for the Activision union; SEIU Local 32BJ for Chipotle in New York City) as they pursue recognition. The new breed of organizers is tech savvy, too. Old-school practices such as passing out leaflets and picket lines are now supplemented or even replaced by YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms.
It’s no secret: While pay, benefits, and working conditions are often hot topics in union organizing, recent campaigns have also focused on worker dissatisfaction with unfair, unresponsive management.
What this means to you: The best way for your organization to remain union-free is to be a good employer. If you are pro-worker, you don’t have to be anti-union. Your consistent message to your workers should be that employees are an essential part of any business success and that their opinions and feelings matter. If employees know that their voices will be heard, they are unlikely to want others to speak for them.
In Fair Measures Managing Within the Law course, your managers will learn best practices for creating and maintaining a respectful workplace. If your managers are consistent and have documented, legitimate business reasons for any decision, your organization has gone a long way to being a union-free employer of choice. Call 800-458-2778 or by email us for more information about Managing Within the Law, available both in the classroom or on the web.
Updated 09-12-2022
Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.
