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UNIONS GAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS.
Some good news today as fresh numbers come out showing, for the first time in 25 years, union density actually increased over the previous year, inching up from 12 percent to 12.1 percent. The gains were concentrated among white women and black men, in the West (the story here is partially large gains in California outweighing declines as manufacturing continues to collapse throughout the Midwest), and in the construction, health, education, and retail sectors.
Manufacturing, amazingly, has been so decimated that your average manufacturing employee is less likely to be unionized than another American worker picked at random. Given that the manufacturing sector was once the backbone of the union economy, that's real testament to how ruined the old order is, and how impressive even these small gains are. Now, one year does not a trend make, and the uptick is unquestionably minor. But still: Gains for the first time in 25 years. And centered around the fast-growing, immigrant-heavy economies of the West. That's meaningful, and may suggest that Labor is finally figuring out a new model they can use to move forward. In celebration, here's a link to Chris Hayes' beautiful essay, "In Search of Solidarity."
COMMENTS (6)
Manufacturing, amazingly, has been so decimated that your average manufacturing employee is less likely to be unionized than another American worker picked at random.
Ezra: just a minor quibble. I think the value added by manufacturing in the US is at or near an all time high. The US manufacturing sector is in fact in superb shape. It's just that the rise in productivity of this sector means this great output is being accomplished with fewer workers than once upon a time. It's also probably the case that the more knowledge-intensive nature of contemporary US manufacturing (more precision instruments and complex engineering equipment, less steel and vehicles) is somewhat less amenable to unionization.
Posted by: Jasper | January 25, 2008 12:00 PM
But as a share of our workforce, it's been decimated. A higher percentage of our manufacturing is now very advanced, but we do much less manufacturing. In essence, what's happened, is that we've kept the things China and India can't do.
Posted by: Ezra | January 25, 2008 12:10 PM
But as a share of our workforce, it's been decimated.
Agreed.
Posted by: Jasper | January 25, 2008 12:17 PM
for the first time in 25 years, union density actually increased over the previous year
Welcome news indeed.
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | January 25, 2008 2:39 PM
"is that we've kept the things China and India can't do."
Isn't this a good thing? Outsource the low margin unskilled commodity work and focus on the high margin skilled cutting edge manufacturing. Not all jobs are worth saving.
Posted by: Nate | January 25, 2008 10:31 PM
"we do much less manufacturing"
In what sense? Measured by the value of the output, we do more. Which is saying something in a more globally competitive market.
If you're saying we do less high-volume & low-value, well, isn't that what all those Upton Sinclairs wanted?
Posted by: Anonymous | January 27, 2008 12:56 PM