The Power of Labor: Building Solidarity

🤓 Bite-Sized Knurd: The labor movement is growing during a time of historic inequality. The rise in labor proves there is power in working-class solidarity.

Read on for more…

In the last two years, workers have soul-searched and questioned what work means to them, what is important to them, and why they live to work instead of work to live. This has manifested into the largest labor organizing effort since the 1970s.

• Approval of labor unions is at its highest point since 1965
• It’s #hotlaborsummer and petitions to form unions are up almost 60% vs. a year ago
• Chris Smalls and others have taken on “The Man” and formed unions at Starbucks, Amazon, and other large corporations that have historically fought back against unionization.

The labor movement wave is rising and gaining momentum.

This coincides with workers having more power than they’ve had in decades. Unemployment is historically low at 3.7% despite rising in August’s jobs report (Thanks Biden!) and job openings are near record highs. This means that workers have the advantage. Workers can be more selective in the jobs they apply to because there are more jobs available. Similarly, workers can feel empowered to leave unhealthy work environments for something better.

At a time of historic inequality, fat CEO bonuses, and record corporate profits, this is a really good thing despite what corporate media would have you believe.

This worker power, in turn, pressures employers to be better. The labor movement is yes about wages, but it’s also about well-being. It’s about having a safe work environment, being treated with respect on the job, and having more flexibility on when and where they work. This pressure can have a positive benefit for all. Happy workers, mean happy and profitable companies.

Don’t Underestimate Us

But the recent wave of labor momentum hasn’t been easy. Major corporations continue to use blatant union-busting tactics (not cool Starbucks), the Fed is tightening interest rates putting the most pressure on low-income Americans, and corporate media continue to misrepresent the economic realities of millions of Americans.

The headwinds to reaching an economy that works for everyday people are real, but my hope comes from organizers like Chris Smalls.

If you don’t know who Chris Smalls is, you definitely should! He was the lead organizer to unionize Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse. He began by organizing a walkout in 2020 over poor covid-safety protocols and was immediately fired. Since his firing, he founded the ALU (Amazon Labor Union) and successfully unionized the Staten Island warehouse on April 1, 2022.

Chris Smalls was called “not smart or articulate“ by Amazon executives. They thought making him “the face of the entire union/organizing movement” would look good for Amazon.

They were wrong.

Apart from the obvious racism in calling a Black man “not articulate,” these tactics also clearly show the views many elites have about working-class people.

The type of labor that Ted Cruz calls lazy typically includes long hours, sometimes back-breaking work, aggressive micromanagement of time (literally tracking bathroom breaks like workers are kindergarteners), and minimal to no benefits. (Don’t tell me that Ted Cruz could last a day in those conditions.)

Workers recognize this divide because they are doing this work every day. They see their paychecks aren’t going as far, while corporations are reporting the highest profit margins since the 1950s.

There are large swaths of people in this country who want an economy that works for everyday people. The labor movement is proving that workers want to change and are ready to do the work to reach a fairer work environment.

We have a critical mass of people to create change.

The question now is how do we harness the energy that the current labor movement has created to institute real systemic change?

Next week: we’re talking The Fed, inflation, and a potential recession??

The Good Knurd:

Now's your chance to join in on the action! Thoughtful ways to influence change within yourself and your local community.

• 🤔 Thought Starter: Read up on how to respond to racist microaggressions when you see them
• 🗣️ Discussion: How do you view work in the context of your life? How does work stack up against life, well-being, and health as priorities?
• 🫂 Community: Check out resources on how to support labor unions.