Like any national organization with a broad agenda and true
commitment to its members, the labor movement has its ups and downs.
Riding on this roller coaster means that we are sometimes
criticized simply because we use our voice to strongly defend issues
concerning working Americans. And, sometimes, like when we win a hard
fought battle on Capitol Hill to protect sacred worker rights, we feel
the same adrenaline rush that overcame us as children riding on a real
roller coaster.
All too often we only hear about the "downs" in our
ongoing journey to improve the quality of life of working families.
Let's just look at the past few months.
We have seen countless news accounts about the "weakening of
organized labor" as the Bush Administration seeks retribution for
our support of Al Gore. Irresponsible television network coverage and
newspaper stories have warned about looming airline service
disruptions caused by worker demands at the bargaining table and
threatened strikes - never mind the demands and tactics of airline
management. And, even within the AFL-CIO house of labor, we have just
witnessed the disaffiliation of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters,
a story that others are exploiting to suggest dissension in our house.
Our nation seems overly obsessed with exploring the negative. Or,
perhaps, it is true that negative stories sell more newspapers and
produce higher TV ratings. Whatever the reason, we must all take a
moment to stop and look at the positive. And, as union members, this
means that we must remind ourselves of the difference that unions make
in the lives of working families - both on the job and in our
communities.
A society that is driven by the motivation of "what have you
done for me lately," often loses sight of a basic question that
should be at the heart of any truly relevant organization - what would
life be like if strong democratic unions didn't exist. If we asked
that of ourselves as union members, the answer would be pretty bleak.
Without unions, millions of working Americans - union members and
non-union members alike - would be far worse off then they are today.
No other institution would fight for fair trade, worker safety, the
minimum wage, collective bargaining rights, health care and a strong
Medicare and Railroad Retirement program. In fact, in today's cruel
economy, a worker's union card may be the only symbol of job security
left in the workplace.
We often forget that some of the fundamental tenets of our lives as
working Americans such as pensions, sick leave, paid vacations, injury
compensation, safe workplaces and even the eight hour work day are all
the result of the hard work of a dedicated union movement. We enjoy
enhanced wages and benefits, have greater job security and are better
trained and more productive because we are union members and we have a
strong labor movement behind us under the AFL-CIO banner.
The facts speak for themselves. Unions truly raise wages and our
standard of living through the collective bargaining process. Recent
data show that unionized workers earn about 35 percent more in total
compensation than nonunion workers. Among blue collar workers, the
"union premium" approaches 50 percent in pay and, in
insurance and benefits, it is even larger: union blue collar workers
earn 158 percent and 362 percent more in health and pensions than do
their nonunion counterparts.
Rail workers need to look no further than to shortline railroads
where those employees, especially the unorganized, earn far less than
they would if they worked for a major unionized rail carrier. And
collective bargaining is a particularly effective vehicle for workers
who face the most discrimination and difficulty in the labor market -
women and minorities. According to the AFL-CIO, the union wage
advantage was 38 percent for women workers, 42 percent for African
American workers and 52 percent for Latino workers.
Don't ask the labor movement if these facts are true - ask
corporate special interests that validate our hard work everyday as
they spend enormous resources trying to silence or weaken us. I've
always believed that the best way for businesses, big and small, to
weaken the labor movement is to become responsible employers.
And while those workers with a union voice are better off because
they carry a union card, the public is also beginning to recognize
that unions matter and are a positive force in the workplace and for
the economy. According to research conducted by the national polling
firm, Peter D. Hart Research Associates:
More than two-thirds of Americans felt positive or neutral towards
unions, with negative attitudes toward unions dropping 11 points in
the six-year period from 1993 to 1999.
More Americans would vote for a union today than 15 years ago. When
Americans who aren't union members were asked if they would vote for a
union at their workplace, 43 percent said they would definitely or
probably vote for a union. This percentage has increased by nearly
half over the past 15 years. And the percentage who said they would
vote against a union dropped dramatically.
Among young adults ages 18 - 34, positive attitudes toward unions
outpace negative attitudes two to one. With negative attitudes lower
among young adults than among all adults, this is clearly an
encouraging sign for union membership in the future.
A majority of workers think that employees who have a union are
better off than those who don't. Fifty two percent of those surveyed
said that workers are better off if they have a union - and only 20
percent said they are worse off.
A majority of those polled thought it would be good for the country
if more workers had union representation. Fifty two percent of
respondents said that an increase in union membership would be good
for the nation; only 22 percent said it would be bad.
Yes, the labor movement does experience its "ups and
downs." That's to be expected. The challenge is to keep focused
on the "ups" - the reasons why unions matter. It's a
challenge we all need to face head on. Because strong unions mean a
more prosperous economy and a strong America. |