In recent months, labor unions and strikes have proliferated, paralyzing assembly lines in the heartland and shutting down production in Hollywood.
High-profile contract battles broke out across the country as public opinion shifted in favor of organized labor. According to an August poll by Gallup, 67 percent of Americans approve of unions, down from 48 percent in 2009 and the lowest number since Gallup began asking the question in 1936.
Despite some notable gains for unions in recent years — including successful efforts to organize workers at more than 300 Starbucks stores and an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island — union membership is historically low. Americans in the union accounted for 10.1% in 2021, the lowest number on record. Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Here’s what you should know about several notable labor disputes in recent months:
Hollywood blockbuster
On May 11, more than 11,000 film and television writers went on strike and resigned before the end of their three-year contracts. Among the writers’ top demands was an increase in a form of royalty payment known as residuals, for which they cited a steady rise in writers’ compensation despite the rapid expansion of the era of streaming television and labor protections against the increased use of artificial intelligence. .
The Writers Guild of America, which represents screenwriters who may be on strike, reached a tentative agreement Sunday night on a new contract with the Hollywood giants, signaling a possible end to the strike.
Since July 14, Hollywood actors are on strike, most shows and productions will be off for a long time. Percentage share of total revenue generated by streaming programs. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing the cast, currently has no plans to negotiate with the studio.
UPS
The union representing more than 325,000 UPS workers, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, spent months negotiating a new contract with the company. The main demands of the workers include better wages for part-time workers, greater reliance on the company during busy periods and better thermal protection.
In making its demands, the union cited the company’s strong growth since before the pandemic: UPS’s adjusted net profit grew by more than 70% from 2019 to 2022.
The union and UPS reached a tentative agreement on July 25, and workers later approved a new five-year contract on August 22 with 86 percent support, without stopping work that has fueled growth in the U.S. economy.
Terms of the new contract raised the minimum wage for part-time workers from $17 to $21 an hour; air conditioning requirements on new delivery trucks; And wages for full-time delivery drivers rose from $42 an hour to $49 an hour after four years of service.
UAW
Thousands of United Auto Workers members went on strike at three factories on September 14 at 11:59 p.m. after the workers’ four-year contract expired. The scope of the strike has expanded as the union expanded the strike to include parts distribution centers for GM and Stellantis.
Under its new leader, Sean Fein, the union has taken a more aggressive approach to negotiations, including a 40 percent increase in workers’ compensation over a new four-year contract, reforms to health care and retiree pensions, and the end of the system. which pay new workers significantly less than more experienced workers.
Like the Teamsters, the UAW has pointed to profit growth and CEO compensation in its demands to improve member wages.
