The Unionization Wave

If you’ve been following the headlines, it's a given you’ve noticed all the raging events including the baby formula shortage and the inflation rates. Another headline that’s constantly made the news every other day is employees of several companies voting to unionize. From the peak of the pandemic in 2020 through the Great Resignation wave, unionization has been a constant and is now, stronger than ever in the country.
Here’s a quick catch-up on the unionization wave in the country and the ins and outs of it:

Turning point: The Pandemic

The covid 19 pandemic has created a shift in almost all spheres- the labor market has seen great changes since 2020. One such change was the rise in unionization drives across the US. It is also interesting to note that most of the jobs lost in 2020 were in industries with low unionization figures, like leisure and hospitality. Combined with the Great Resignation and its effects, employees slowly gained leverage in the labor market. Slowly yet assuredly, this encouraged the workers to speak up for their rights and benefits more than ever. Unionization, too followed as more and more workers wanted their concerns heard and their troubles acknowledged. Issues ranging from wages and benefits to healthcare and even gender discrimination have all been cited as reasons for voting to hold union elections.

Staffing Shortages

As staffing shortages hit companies across all sectors, nurses, teachers and even airline staff came out in protests, demanding better working conditions. It had become almost impossible to work in understaffed environments. For workers in the service industry, this meant longer gruesome shifts for the same old pay. Obviously, this was worsened by the fear of being exposed to the virus and getting infected. While some submitted their resignations, others stuck around for the same pay. Now companies were being held responsible for the working conditions and low wages. But this time, it was not just your local store seeking union representation. There were big names making headlines. Starbucks, Amazon and Apple are a few among the larger companies whose employees joined this unionization wave.

Retaliation

While some of these efforts to unionize were met with negotiations and contracts, some employers stuck to retaliation. A Starbucks store in Ithaca is all set to shut down. Meanwhile, employees of the store claim that the reason for the closure is unionization. This has not been an isolated incident either. Yet another strategy to stop workers from voting to unionize was offering benefits. But there’s a catch. Workers who vote for union elections would not be eligible for these pay hikes and benefits. These strategic steps may temporarily calm the storm in certain companies. But ultimately, workers currently have leverage in the job market and their voices and concerns would be too loud to silence. 

This quick spreading wave of unionizing seems like an alert to all employers to put forth better alternatives and lend an open ear to employees’ concerns. In the long run, every union election and every ballot win could prove to be a huge loss for companies. As for policymakers and lawmakers, it's about time we saw reforms in the labor laws.