Rejuvenation of Unions

Richard B. Freeman finds Workers want far more representation than they currently have. A great increase in desire for unionization of their Workplace, and even greater desire for Worker representation with Management to discuss Employment issues. English-Speaking nations have shown declining Unionization and declining Worker representation since the 1980s, but the Freeman study finds this to be more the wish of Management, than the hope of Labor. He finds a majority of nonunion Labor for the first time want union representation in the mid-2000s.

Labor attitude change seems most attributable to Job Insecurity to this Author. The Fanfare of the later years of the last century proclaimed the ability of individual Workers to negotiate better Wages, Benefits, and Work Conditions than could Unions. On-the-ground Labor, though, found great difficulty in fair negotiation unless they possessed high-degree marketable Skills; even here there was considerable impediment without a shortage of those marketable Skills. Management hid, whether deliberately or inadvertently, any degradation of Employee position by usage of Offshoring and Downsizing. Both of these Trends are trickling to an effective stop (will I ever here about this one), at least as venue to hide Employment degradation. Labor feels more Insecure, Management is trying to cancel both Health and Retirement benefits, and has been increasingly restrictive of Wage Increases.

A Recession could be the impetus for a massive Unionization movement from Labor. I have never been a great Fan of Unions (I cannot see Conflict developing between two groups, Union and Management, both of whom hold MBAs), and do not perceive ordinary Workers with the economic acumen to understand when to Push, and when to hold Fast. Management, though, must be considered the faulty Party leading to Unionization. They refuse to assume responsibility for Worker health, Wealth, and Safety; the primary drive of Labor to work in the first place. Insufficient provision of the foregoing propels alternate systems of Protection. Management has always felt a responsibility to Stockholders (though it later years, this has been diverted to enrichment of Themselves), but must accept responsibility for their Employees; failure to undertake this effort will bring only extended greater troubles. lgl