US Workers Eye Strikes and Unionization

By Shayne Cytrynbaum ‘25
Waves of strikes have upended major corporations across the US as union drives and support for workers’ rights increases.

These unionization efforts have affected major corporations like Amazon, Starbucks, Kellogg’s, John Deere, Apple, Google, REI, Amtrak, Home Depot and Trader Joe’s, as well as school districts, prisons and government institutions.
Union victories emerged as many quit their jobs in a “Great Resignation” following the COVID pandemic. This has led to a strong job market, with employers making more concessions to hire and retain workers.
The pandemic has also caused workers to reevaluate their career expectations and work-life balance. Former Chair of the National Labor Relations Board Mark Pearce explained, “The pandemic was the wakeup call or the catalyst that has prompted two perspectives: ‘is there another way to work and live?’ and the relationship between employers with workers.”
“I think workers definitely have a right to be angry, considering how much large corporations have exploited them over the years,” said senior Daniel Shapiro. “My hope is that this wave of union activity finally convinces some of these companies to learn to treat their workers like they have needs and lives.”
Overall support for unions has also grown since the pandemic. According to a recent Gallup poll, 71% of all Americans approve of unions, the highest percentage since 1965, while one-in-six Americans live in a household with at least one union member.
President Joe Biden, who has presented himself as a champion for blue-collar workers and the middle class, described himself as the “most pro-union president ever.” Early in his presidency, Biden appointed a pro-union attorney to head the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and in May, the President met with 39 labor leaders, including Chris Smalls, the charismatic and outspoken leader of the new Amazon Labor Union.
Some, however, say that Biden is not doing enough to support workers’ rights. Several prominent progressive politicians, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), are calling for more pro-worker legislation, including a $15/hour “living wage,” universal medicare, a Green New Deal and the repeal of the anti-union Taft-Hartley Act of 1948 which decimated the American labor movement.
Social Studies teacher Ms. Cruz expressed solidarity with the recent union drives. “I am supportive, and it is really empowering to see that working-class folks, whether young or old, are joining unions to fight for their labor rights, whether it is high wages or better working conditions, and from Amazon to Home Depot,” she said. She recalled a recent news story about how workers at an Amazon distribution center staged a sit-in protest for the first time in the company’s history following a dangerous fire at their warehouse and commended the striking workers for their courage and resolve.
Yet many pro-business politicians have criticized the recent union waves, saying that unionization hurts the economy and promotes laziness. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said that unions “almost always pit workers against management, only worsening the workplace environment” after introducing an anti-union bill in February. 
“Nationwide there is this ethical conversation about whether or not hierarchies are based on power or based on confidence,” said physical education teacher Joe Candela. “Ultimately while [corporations] should take into account the voices of their employees, they have the right to make their decision. Unions completely defeat the purpose of what unions stand for when they resort to tactics of mob rule and do not allow for other voices of dissent.”
Some conservative-leaning Democrats share this view, including Starbucks CEO and former presidential contender Howard Schultz. Starbucks has seen over 200 stores unionize since a strike at a store in Buffalo, NY in late 2021. The Starbucks union, Starbucks Workers United, has over 10,600 members who proudly sport the union’s logo, which features the leftist “raised fist” icon holding a Starbucks coffee cup.
Lucy Waldorf, a Boston high-schooler and member of the Starbucks Workers United union, described her first experiences with unionizing. “When talking to my colleagues, there was very much this energy of ‘that happened to you? that happened to me too?’ and because of all this internalization of Starbucks' tactics, people just didn’t realize they could do anything about workplace injustice,” she said.
Now, however, Waldorf feels energized and hopeful. “My time with SBWU is proof to me how exponential organizing can be,” she explained. “Our movement started out as a handful of stores, and now we’re nationwide.”
Public enterprises have also faced threats of strikes, with staffers working for eight House lawmakers having been trying to unionize amidst emergency negotiations at the White House in order to avert a strike from rail employees. Inmates at all 13 prisons of the Alabama Department of Corrections have also gone on strike, demanding better living conditions in the prisons and significant criminal justice system reform, while 48,000 educators and staff personnel at all 10 campuses of the University of California went on strike in November, supported by the historically significant United Auto Workers (UAW) union.
Overall, this wave of unionization and strikes seems unlikely to die down anytime soon. Union support remains high among key political factions, ranging from conservative blue-collar workers to college-educated liberals to young progressives. While the declining economy may lead to lower wages across the board, the job market still remains advantageous to workers. 
Pro-worker policies such as a $15/hour “living wage,” a Green New Deal and universal healthcare are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in American politics, and even with the more moderate Biden administration, pro-worker welfare spending is expected to continue. 
Chris Smalls, head of the Amazon Labor Union, believes that the revived labor movement is here to stay. Speaking to NPR, Smalls said, “If I can lead us to victory over Amazon, what's stopping anybody in this country from organizing their workplace? Nothing.”