Why is 'Labor Union' the Term of the Day?

U.S. approval for labor unions has reached its highest point since 1965, according to a recent Gallup poll, in which 71% of Americans expressed approval of unions, up significantly from 64% before the pandemic. 

We’ve seen several high-profile organized labor wins this year. In March, 10 Google contractors in Kansas City, Missouri, voted in favor of unionizing, becoming the first Alphabet Workers Union members to obtain bargaining rights. In April, workers at a Staten Island warehouse became the first Amazon location to join the independent Amazon Labor Union. And since last December, when employees in Buffalo voted to become the first unionized Starbucks store, another 199 locations employing over 5,200 people have followed suit.

These events may be having a domino effect, fueling a nationwide union boom precipitated by the pressure placed on workers during the pandemic. According to the National Labor Relations Board, the agency received 1,892 union representation petitions between Oct. 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, a 58% increase from the same period one year prior and more partitions than it has received in any fiscal year since 2016.

-Colin