Despite their value and necessity, labor unions in the United States are on a decline.
Labor unions have existed in the United States from the beginning. They started when workers would go on strikes, including the first successful strike, which was held by carpenters in Philadelphia in 1791.
In 1866, the National Labor Union, the first national labor federation, was created. Unions started to regulate rights for workers and paved the way for multiple other unions to be formed. In their long history, labor unions have been known to provide benefits to their members.
Cartoon propaganda published in the “Industrial Workers of the World” showed workers are stronger together. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
“The importance of the union is the protections it provides. With a union behind you, you have the experience of the whole organization behind you to stand up for you should you ever need it,” Nicole Dempsey, 10-year member and recording secretary of the Egg Harbor Township branch of the New Jersey Education Associationsaid. “Unions keep working conditions in check and provide the financial benefits achieved through the power of collective bargaining.”
The power of collective bargaining often leaves workers feeling like they have a support system in the event of an issue.
“Unions give members representation pertaining to working conditions, wages, hours worked and
the benefits of having a group versus having to stand up on your own for yourself with an employer,” Tim Scannel, who has been a member of I.B.E.W Power Local Union 351 for 30 years said. “My membership has given me an opportunity to provide a good living with health care benefits for my family.”
At the peak of labor unions’ influence in the United States in 1954, 34.8 percent of workers belonged to a union. As of 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 10.7 percent of workers belonged to a union. Membership is declining, despite the benefits.
“Unions today are at risk. With many people unemployed, more people are willing to take jobs without union protection and fear unionizing,” Dempsey said. “Working in education gives me the false sense that there are more people involved in unions than there are. People no longer realize the benefits that come from being a part of a union and instead see it as entitlement and expectation.”
According to union members, these conceptions of unions are a main contributor to the issue of membership decline.
“I think that if more people took the time to learn about unions and what they stand for that they would want to join a union,” Scannel said. “Many people believe that union people are overpaid, don’t do very much work and are on a coffee break all day, but that is not the case.”
However, despite their decline in membership, unions are rising in popularity. According to Pew Research studies, 48 percent of American adults expressed a favorable view of unions in 2015, while 60 percent viewed them favorably in 2017.
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