There is a power in a union?
Critical Analysis
According to the data from the visual above, what percent of American workers were union members in 1980?
According to the data from the visual above, what percent of American workers were union members as of 2021?
Describe one trend in union membership in the United States over the past 40 years.
What is the biggest reason for that trend?
What is one political consequence of that trend?
What exactly is a union, anyway and what do they do?
As union membership has fallen, union popularity has increased (see below*). Why do you think that is?
How does union membership in the U.S. compare to that of other nations? (see below*)
Though union participation has fallen, labor action has not seen the same steady decline. Two recent banner years for work stoppages were 2018 and 2019. The action was driven in part by the “Red for Ed” education strikes, with teachers across the country organizing walkouts for raises and school funding. After a lull in the first year and a half of the pandemic, work stoppages appear to have ticked up again last fall. Do you think the pandemic will lead to more teacher strikes and work stoppages?
According to Gallup, Seventy-one percent of Americans now approve of labor unions (see visual below*) - the highest Gallup has recorded on this measure since 1965. The latest approval figure comes amid a burst of 2022 union victories across the country, with high-profile successes at major American corporations such as Amazon and Starbucks. The National Labor Relations Board reported a 57% increase in union election petitions filed during the first six months of fiscal year 2021. Why do you think union approval is increasing?
Learning Extension
Read more about unions in the U.S.
Action Extension
Learn about whether teachers can join a union in your state, and share what you’ve learned with class.