Unions help increase pay, benefits & equality; Why don't we have more of them?
Union participation peaked in the 1950's with around one third of the US work force belonging to a labor organization. Union membership have been proven to increase income, benefits, and labor power. They also help prevent wealth inequality and unfair labor practices.
However, in the 1960s, resistance to unions and labor organizations grew while public opinion was successfully turned against unioned workers. Many strikes were depicted as disruptive and destructive for the economy, and labor organizations were seen as corrupt and useless. Union busting and other anti-union tactics become common for businesses as a way to cut down on worker power and increase profits.
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Union and labor laws were also left by the wayside as a more pro-business population scorned unions and workers. All of these factors, combined with many others, led to a collapse of union participation and lead to the modern gap in wealth equality and labor power.
Causes
1
Union Busting Tactics
The hiring of union-busting firms and other bullying tactics became increasingly common. These tactics can include anti-union posters & speeches, illegally threatening to fire workers, and trying to stall negotiations by as long as possible. Union-busting tactics are often illegal but still widely proliferate.
2
Lax Labor Laws
Labor laws so bitterly fought over in the early 1900s fell into disuse by the 1960s and 80s. Particular among these were the Taft-Hartley Acts, which helped to weaken the National Labor Relations Board creating a more hostile environment. This helped to allow companies to use previously illegal union-busting tactics.
3
Public Opinion
Public opinion also turned on unions as strikes were portrayed as disruptive and damaging to the economy. Media and big companies began a campaign and other efforts to portray labor activism as stealing from the economy thus further souring public opinion.
Data
The result from three main causes listed above caused a collapse in union membership and participation in the 1970s. In the 1950s union participation accounted for nearly a third of the US workforce however currently that rate stands at about 10 percent.
