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| 2020s United States labor movement | |
|---|---|
| Name | 2020s United States labor movement |
| Period | 2020s |
| Location | United States |
| Major participants | AFL–CIO, Service Employees International Union, United Auto Workers, Teamsters, Communications Workers of America, National Labor Relations Board, Amazon (company), Starbucks Corporation, Walmart Inc., Tesla, Inc., Federal Reserve System |
| Goals | Organizing, collective bargaining, labor law reform, wage increases, workplace safety |
2020s United States labor movement
The 2020s United States labor movement is defined by a surge of organizing drives, high-profile strikes, and renewed public debate over labor law reform centered amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Resignation, and concentrated corporate power. Activists, unions, employers, regulators, and courts including the National Labor Relations Board shaped campaigns across sectors such as retail, technology, food service, manufacturing, and healthcare. The period features intersections with social movements including Black Lives Matter, Fight for $15, and student activism at institutions such as Harvard University and Columbia University.
During the late 2010s labor landscape, organizations like the AFL–CIO, SEIU, and United Food and Commercial Workers faced declining membership while new formations including the Democratic Socialists of America influenced organizing strategies. Preceding events such as the 2018–2019 GM strike (2019) and campaigns like Fight for $15 set precedents for bargaining tactics, while legal frameworks including decisions by the National Labor Relations Board and statutes like the Taft–Hartley Act framed constraints. The rise of digital platforms including Uber Technologies, Lyft, and DoorDash produced gig-economy disputes echoed in litigation such as cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and petitions to the Federal Trade Commission.
High-visibility labor actions included strikes and walkouts by employees at corporations like Kellogg Company (2021), food-processing actions informed by pandemic conditions at plants connected to Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods, and coordinated strikes by teachers affiliated with National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers in cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles. Transit and public-sector actions involved unions including the Transport Workers Union of America and AFSCME, while private-sector campaigns pressured companies like Amazon (company), Starbucks Corporation, and McDonald's Corporation. Tactical innovations mirrored past campaigns such as the 1936–1937 Flint sit-down strike and the West Coast Longshore strike (1934) but adapted to digital organizing via platforms including Twitter and Instagram.
Organizing successes and campaigns featured unprecedented votes at outlets including Starbucks Reserve Roastery, attempts to unionize Amazon (company) facilities in cities like Bessemer, Alabama and Joliet, Illinois, and drives at technology firms paralleling efforts at Google LLC and Apple Inc. stores. Labor federations such as Change to Win and independent groups like Make the Road New York supported campaigns alongside campus organizing at institutions such as University of California, Berkeley and New York University. Legal challenges relied on filings with the National Labor Relations Board and coordination with political actors including members of United States Congress and mayors in municipalities like Seattle and New York City.
Policy debates revolved around proposals like the Protecting the Right to Organize Act and state-level reforms in jurisdictions including California and New York (state), addressing issues from joint-employer standards to card-check recognition. Administrative actions by the Biden administration and rulemaking at the National Labor Relations Board influenced enforcement posture, while decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States affected preemption and labor rights litigation. Local ordinances—such as those in San Francisco and Philadelphia—interacted with federal statutes including the National Labor Relations Act, and legislative coalitions in state legislatures involved actors from Democratic Party (United States) and Republican Party (United States) caucuses.
Corporations responded with varied strategies: legal defenses by firms like Amazon (company) and Starbucks Corporation, union-recognition offers by some employers, and aggressive anti-union campaigns drawing comparisons to historic practices of companies such as Ford Motor Company during early 20th-century labor disputes. Human-resources tactics referenced consultants like The McKinsey & Company and law firms operating under labor-defense models, while some employers adopted employee-voice mechanisms reminiscent of works councils debated in contexts like Germany. Financial actors including BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group influenced corporate governance decisions touching on labor relations.
Public support for unions regained strength compared with earlier decades, measurable through polling by institutions such as the Pew Research Center and Gallup. Labor issues shaped electoral politics in races for the United States Senate, United States House of Representatives, and gubernatorial contests, as campaigns linked labor agendas to policy platforms of figures like Joe Biden and progressive challengers associated with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Alignments with movements including Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter influenced messaging, and labor endorsements affected ballot initiatives in states including California and Massachusetts.
Persistent challenges include declining manufacturing employment compared to peaks tied to entities like General Motors and U.S. Steel, legal hurdles from judicial rulings in the Supreme Court of the United States, and employer countermeasures. Trends point to increased unionization in service and high-tech sectors, hybrid organizing models blending workplace and community tactics pioneered by groups like Jobs With Justice and Making Change at Amazon, and continued debate over policies such as card check and scope of bargaining. The movement’s trajectory will hinge on interactions among unions like the AFL–CIO, political actors in United States Congress, regulatory agencies like the National Labor Relations Board, and employers across sectors including retail, manufacturing, and technology.