Thread by @MorePerfectUS

Today is Labor Day, and the working class has a lot to be excited about.

Unions are more popular than they’ve been in decades, and they’re winning victories too.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important developments over the last year.🧵

Last November, the United Auto Workers stood up in a historic strike against Stellantis, General Motors, and Ford and won contracts that will raise wages by at least 25% over the next four years. npr.org/2023/11/16/121…

The UAW made history again just 5 months later, unionizing the first automobile plant in the South since the 1940s and expanding the UAW’s reach beyond the Midwest. More than 70% of the workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga voted to unionize.
reuters.com/business/autos…

In May, 1,700 Disneyland character and parade workers won a new union — which they’re calling Magic United.

https://x.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1792212528925413545

Then, 14,000 other Disneyland workers won a 31% raise after threatening to strike in July. It’s their biggest ever wage increase. Most workers will see a $6.10/hour bump, and minimum pay is rising to $24/hour this year.

Southwest Airlines flight attendants secured a contract that raises wages by 33% over the next 4 years.
apnews.com/article/southw…

Workers at Blue Bird—the country's largest electric school bus maker—ratified their first union contract. They secured raises of up to 40%.

Starbucks Workers United announced in February that they secured a commitment from Starbucks to begin negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement for more than 9,000 workers at 380+ different locations.

The Writers Guild of America also secured their own victory in September last year, ratifying a contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers after the second-longest strike in Hollywood history.
variety.com/2023/biz/news/…

Not too long after that, the Screen Actors Guild secured their own contract as well, bringing an end to what was a rare multi-union struggle over workers’ rights in Hollywood in 2023.
apnews.com/article/actors…

Unions more broadly are very popular. A new poll from Gallup shows that 67% of Americans support labor unions and more than 75% say that unions get the goods for their members. A record high of 61% of Americans say that unions help the economy, as well.
news.gallup.com/poll/510281/un…

Nationwide, more than 75% of all private sector organizing attempts from mid-2023 to mid-2024 resulted in union victories, according to the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies.
thecity.nyc/2024/08/29/lab…

Workers won new rights through legislation, too. Illinois and Washington both banned captive audience meetings — which employers use to pressure employees against unionizing.
npr.org/2024/07/30/nx-…

Do you have a labor victory you want to shout out? Reply below ⬇️