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With Labor Day this weekend, there is a growing call for more union power to balance wealthy corporate power. In the midst of all the campaign platforms and worker actions, I looked into the role of strikes in my latest for @equitablegrowth: equitablegrowth.org/the-once-and-f… 1/12
Research by @awh finds that support for unions has increased and workers specifically want collective bargaining and benefits like healthcare from unions. Workers tend to not like strikes, but support increases when paired with collective bargaining. 2/12
"What Unions No Longer Do" by @JakeRosenfeld1 shows that strikes peaked in the 80s and declined since then. Anti-union business tactics and Taft-Hartley limitations on striking caught up with the labor movement, rendering strikes less successful than they once were. 3/12
Changing economic structures also exacerbated the decline of the strike, like the increasingly fissured workplace and Taft-Hartley's prohibition of secondary boycotts. E.g. a McDonald's worker isn't protected in picketing the corporation since they work for a franchisor. 4/12
While strikes have declined due, this has worsened the outcomes from other economic phenomenon like #monopsony. @markpaul and Mark Stelzner explore the role of collective action in a monopsony in their @equitablegrowth working paper equitablegrowth.org/working-papers… 5/12
They find “find that a lack of institutional support will devastate unions’ ability to function as a balance to firms’ monopsony power, potentially with major consequences … In turn, labor market outcomes will be less socially efficient.” equitablegrowth.org/rethinking-col… 6/12
Despite the lack of pro-labor institutions, recent years have shown a revival in strikes and they have been SUCCESSFUL. #RedForEd, but also @fightfor15 & @ourwmt before them. @GC_CUNY's Ruth Milkman describes these as similar to pre-FLSA labor actions gc.cuny.edu/CUNY_GC/media/… 7/12
And increasing labor actions, like "wildcat" strikes technically prohibited by Taft-Hartley, have increased the exposure to strikes and sympathy for them. In @OnLaborBlog @awh describes the findings of his research with Suresh Naidu and Adam Reich: onlabor.org/polling-the-te… 8/12
There was broad support for the teacher walkouts in #RedForEd areas, despite low union density and "right-to-work" laws. What's more, learning about strikes from first-hand sources, like teachers themselves or from the union, increased the likelihood of support. 9/12
#RedForEd won pay increases and better working conditions for teachers across red states. @fightfor15 and @OURWmt got pay increases for some of the lowest paid workers. With rising inequality, workers are fighting back with strikes and labor actions, and making some wins. 10/12
But we need more. We need institutions and policies that protect and support the ability of workers to engage in collective action, like strikes. We need new, expansive policies like those developed at @LWPHarvard w/ @sharblock, and proposed by presidential candidates. 11/12
And with all this excitement over strikes (is it just me?), I hope everyone has a great #LaborDay! If you're looking for a barbecue soundtrack, might I recommend this one that I listened to while making this whole thread? open.spotify.com/playlist/5jRZc… 12/12
