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Transcript of The State of the Labor Movement Elaine Bernard, PhD Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School...
The State of the Labor Movement
Elaine Bernard, PhD Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School
Massachusetts AFL-CIO THIRD ANNUAL FUTURES CONVENTION
Radisson Plymouth, February 6, 2010
Elaine Bernard
• Executive Director, Labor & Worklife Program, and Harvard Trade Union Program, Harvard Law School
• Work with a variety of unions – in the US, Canada, and internationally - on developing skills & educational programs for union leadership
• Teach in fields of international comparative labor movements, unions & civil society, and leadership & organizational change
Outline
• The overall state of organized labor
• What do unions do and why they matter to everyone?
• Transforming unions - learning to light a union fire
International Context – widespread global decline in organized labor…
(ETUL 2009)Union Density CB Coverage
Austria 35
Belgium 55
Czech Republic 22
Denmark 80
France 8
Germany 22
Italy 34
Japan 22
Korea 11
Spain 16
Sweden 78
United Kingdom 28
(ETUL 2009)Union Density CB Coverage
Austria 35 98
Belgium 55 96
Czech Republic 22 44
Denmark 80 80
France 8 93
Germany 22 64
Italy 34 80
Japan 22 18
Korea 11 13
Spain 16 82
Sweden 78 90
United Kingdom 28 34
(ETUL 2009)Union Density CB Coverage
Austria 35 98
Belgium 55 96
Czech Republic 22 44
Denmark 80 80
France 8 93
Germany 22 64
Italy 34 80
Japan 22 18
Korea 11 13
Spain 16 82
Sweden 78 90
United Kingdom 28 34
International (OECD) Trend Line
• Widespread decline in union density in most countries (though not in Collective Bargaining coverage)
• Most sever decline in union representation primarily in the private sector
• Growing gap between union density in public sector vs private sector
Reasons for Decline…• Globalization – intensification of international economic &
political integration (free trade race to the bottom)• Changes in organization of production and employment
(contracting out, offshoring, lean production, JiT inventory systems…)
• Decline of job-based/workplace focus of employment• Decline in large, concentrated workplaces • Transformation of employment relationship (decline in
full time, regular, permanent employment – growth in part time, contingent, limited term, precarious employment)
• Employer (including government) hostility/opposition to unions
Organized Labor
in the U.S.
Union Membership, 1945-2009
12,000,000
14,000,000
16,000,000
18,000,000
20,000,000
22,000,000
1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2006
2009 =15.3 million members or 12.3%
1999 = 16.5 million members
Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor; BLS; Statistical Abstract.
USDL 10-0069
U.S. Union Density 1945-2009 - 12.3%
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
%
1954=35%
1945 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2008
USDL 10-0069
Workforce, 1945- 2009
0
20,000,000
40,000,000
60,000,000
80,000,000
100,000,000
120,000,000
1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2008
Workforce 124,490,000
Union Membership15,327,000
109 Million Unorganized
Workers
BLS USDL 10-0069
19%+10% to 18%0% to 9%
Union Density by State 1983
Union Density by State 2008
Union Members (by industry) 2009 • 47% elementary & secondary education• 43% state & local government• 22% utilities• 22% transportation• 14.5% construction • 13% information industries• 11% manufacturing• 8% accommodation• 7% healthcare• 5% retail trade
BLS USDL 10-0069
20091973
Changes in Public/Private Sector Union Density
PP uu bb ll ii ccss ee cc tt oo rrunion membersunion members
PrivatePrivate ss ee cc tt oo rrunion membersunion members 7.4 million
15 million
7.9 million3 million
Private Sector Density 7.2%Public Sector Density 37.4%
Private Sector Density 24%Public Sector Density 23%
USDL 10-0069
Strong Support for Unionization
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Year
%
“If an election were held tomorrow to decide whether your workplace would have a union…”
Definitely or probably vote yes
Definitely or probably vote no
2008: 53%
What Do Unions Do?
Why the Overall Decline in Unions
Matters to Everyone
Source: U.S. Census, BNA, 2001
Weak Union States Strong Union States
Education Unemployment Insurance
Workers’ Compensation
Unions & Public PolicyUnions & Public Policy
78%
49%
Source: BLS, Employee Benefits in Private Industry, 2007
Nonunion Union
78% of union workers have health insurance
49% of nonunion workers get health insurance
Unions & Health Insurance
Source: BLS, Employee Benefits in Private Industry, 2007
69% of union workers have guaranteed pensions
15% of nonunion workers have guaranteed pensions
69%
15%
Nonunion Union
Unions & Pensions
Unions & Wages
Source: BLS USDL 07-0113
Nonunion Union
Union workers earn 30% more than non union workers
What Unions Do - Beyond Wages & Benefits
• Organization for winning rights
• Vehicle for exercising rights
• Schools for democracy – the right to participate in decisions that affect you
• Builders of a community of interest among members, and with the wider community
• Provides “Voice” vs “exit” - providing management with valuable “feed back” essential for systems improvement
• Premier institution of civil society, promoting democracy in the workplace, economic and social justice and equality
Unions – the myth
• Hard fought union recognition campaign
• Lots of worker dissatisfaction
• Abusive anti-union management
• Need 50% plus 1 vote for union to win recognition
• Board certifies union as bargaining agent
• Dignity, empowerment – voice & respect for workers
• We live happily ever after…
Unions – the reality
• Vast majority of union members today did not participate in an “organizing” campaign.
• They simply “discover” they are union members – as a result of getting a job.
Lighting the Union Fire
The leadership skill of getting co-workers involved in the
union and moving them from “fair share” or passive “dues payers” to active, engaged
members and fellow leaders is called
ORGANIZING
"In democratic countries, knowledge of how to combine
is the mother of all other forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the others."
Alexis De Tocqueville
What Do Unions Do? We construct a community of interest among workers and with the community and struggle for economic and social
justice and equality
Organizing:the Knowledge of How to Combine
• Organizing is building power through building relationships
• Democracy requires an organized citizenry with the power to articulate and assert its interests effectively.
• Organizing is how people combine to act on common interests.
The craft of organizing is about identifying shared interests, forging a community prepared to act on those interests
and building power from a united community.
Focus on the Local Union
• Where members join the union• Where members experience the union• Where members become involved in the union• Where members shape the character of the union
The keystone of the union – because it’s the springboard for membership participation
and leadership development (unions, political, community…)
Building the Capacity of Local Unions
• Move from staff/officer centered union to member centered organizations
• Priority of everyone must be on developing
leaders at all levels of the organization• Focus on building capacity of locals and the skills of
local leaders• Requires a focus on how things are done as much as
what is done (learning to “light fires” vs “putting them out”)
• Focus on putting the movement back into the labor movement
Leaders Light Union Fires
The leadership skill of getting co-workers involved in the
union and moving them from “fair share” or passive “dues payers” to active, engaged
members and fellow leaders is called
ORGANIZING
THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE
IS TO CREATE IT