CNBC and Vox on unionization for Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! This year, I'm looking at the history of labor itself, not the holiday that honors it. I begin at the present moment with CNBC explaining Why Starbucks, Apple And Google Are Unionizing Now For The First Time.

Since December, workers have led a surge of unionization unlike anything this country has seen since the Great Depression. It's happening at arduous workplaces like one Amazon warehouse in New York, but it's also hitting an entirely new sector: retail and big tech. First-ever unions have now formed at more than 200 Starbucks, an Apple store in Maryland, a Google Fiber contractor, REI, Trader Joe's, Kickstarter, and a gaming division of Microsoft. Here's why experts say it's happening now, and why these progressive companies are fighting back against the movements.

One of the contributing factors has been the pandemic.

"It has to do with the pandemic," said Laura Garza, a barista who helped organize her New York City-based Starbucks location, which voted to unionize in April. "It made a lot of workers that continued to work during the pandemic reevaluate what is most important to them. And honestly, it has to go to better pay, livable wage for everybody."

In addition to the pandemic conditions, numerous other factors have collided to create what labor experts call a perfect storm for organizing. The U.S. has seen four decades of stagnant wages. Companies that already had healthy profits before the pandemic made even more money after lockdowns. And there are lots of jobs available without enough applicants to fill them. What's more, the Biden administration is pro-union.

CNBC also mentioned the long-term decline in unionization. Vox examined that in The fall (and rise?) of unions in the US.

We answered a viewer’s question about the decline of unionization.
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“How come we’ve seen such a decline in unionization in the US?” That’s the question we received from one of our viewers, Cameron when we put out a call for topics to explain. It comes at an interesting time.

Earlier this year, the Amazon Labor Union won its first election at a large warehouse in New York, and more than 200 Starbucks locations have voted to unionize since baristas in Buffalo broke the seal in December 2021. The National Labor Relations Board reports that petitions for union elections are up 56 percent this year compared to 2021.

This level of energy and momentum in the labor movement is remarkable in light of the long, steep decline in union membership rates since the 1950s. Social science has limited tools for establishing what caused that decline, and different experts tend to emphasize different factors. But in the video above, we dig into a few key drivers of low union density in the US relative to other wealthy countries.

Seeing those clips from 1950s documentaries gave me flashbacks to The End of Suburbia, which used at least one of those same clips. In this context, they support the thesis that unionization contributed to the elevation of the working class to middle-class lifestyles and then how unions became the victims of their own success. As I'm fond of mentioning, the point serves as an example for two of Commoner's Laws: Everything is connected to everything else and there is no free lunch. Just the same, as a unionized worker myself, I support the unionization efforts, even if they cost me more at the store. The money will be going to support the workers.

I conclude with one of my holiday traditions, sharing drink recipes for the day. Here's Houston Life on KPRC 2 with 2 easy cocktail recipes for Labor Day Weekend.

If you’re looking for cocktail ideas to spice up your Labor Day Weekend celebrations, you’re in luck! Mixologist Josh Alden with Reserve 101, has 2 easy recipes perfect to entertain guests or simply unwind on your day off.

Listening to the banter between the two hosts reminds me of my snarky observation in Happy National Ice Cream Day, World Emoji Day, and Souther! Souther? Yes, Souther.

I'm beginning to wonder if "It's always five o'clock somewhere" means 5:00 P.M. or 5:00 A.M. to morning show anchors who drink as part of their job. I hope they have designated drivers.

Once again, happy Labor Day!