ALMIRON: Labor movement is back in full swing

Years of low wages and stability at work for millennials have fostered a continuing epidemic of discontent, making many Generation Z children fear for their future as they think about going to college. I was one of them.

There are many things that people fear for the future, like the worsening of the climate crisis or events in politics. And notably, a survey revealed that 90 percent of participants from our generation fear economic instability.

Now that a lot of Generation Z are "grown up," many are in the workforce or college, and unfortunately, the issues that millennials faced have spread to Generation Z.

The issues only worsened with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which caused major economic downturns worldwide. The post-Great Recession world has now become the post-COVID-19 world.

The economy appears to be back on track for now, but low-income workers have not experienced the same type of recovery after national financial downturns.

The Great Resignation is one of the most accurate signs of contempt for low compensation. The still ongoing trend of constant resignations is largely due to low wages and employer inflexibility.

When addressing working conditions, one of the main things to discuss is pay. U.S. political actors that advocate for a nationwide $15 minimum wage have made slow and overdue progress since the idea was conceived in 2012.

While inflation has raised prices by 31 percent since then, wages have largely stagnated, and those living paycheck to paycheck are becoming increasingly frustrated.

And the decreasing trust in the government only means one thing: Those who want a change will have to take the matter into their own hands.

And society has started to do exactly that — people are unionizing in the labor market.

Suppression of labor unions and collective bargaining in the 60s caused union membership to fall drastically, leading many to forget, undervalue or even fear organizing to improve working conditions.

At least until now.

The unionization of several Starbucks locations since 2021 was one of the most notorious examples in the recent labor wave. The success of this initiative was contagious, with more Starbucks employees voting to unionize as of today. With such momentum, Starbucks unions have recently launched a nationwide strike.

Other industries and companies have seen enormous growth in labor action. John Deere employees going on strike in late 2021 also made headlines.

2021 was only the precursor to this revival. In 2022, the number of labor strikes skyrocketed by 52 percent, and union membership increased by more than 200,000 U.S. workers in 2021.

The desire for better working conditions has also pierced through higher education. The strike launched by 48,000 educators at the University of California in late 2022 resulted in a dignified contract, an essential victory in the fight for just treatment in colleges.

Smaller but just as significant actions at Temple University have also yielded positive results, serving as an additional source of inspiration to everyone else in academia.

There is a prominent, local example that we should also consider. The Rutgers faculty unions, representing more than 6,600 professors, have been seemingly preparing for a strike while urging University President Jonathan Holloway's administration to accept their proposals for better benefits and wages — the three unionized faculty groups starting the University’s first teaching strike makes this article particularly timely.

Overall, tens of millions of workers in the country want to join a union, but many cannot because of tactics used by companies. These barriers could vanish as more stand up and demand fair treatment.

As we go through 2023, I only expect the union wave to become more intense. Public sector workers, who are more unionized than private sector workers, can influence the private sector and private labor laws simply by winning and demonstrating the power of organizing.

The recent Starbucks strike may be the chance to spread labor initiatives across the food service industry. When employees win, awareness of how to get a similarly fair contract can spread like wildfire from industry to industry.

It is a fact that unionized workers obtain higher wages, increased job security and more benefits than those who are not. With renewed awareness, more workers in the next few years will join the cause to fight for a better work environment.

What is more is that unions foster civic engagement, which is crucial to a healthy democracy. Just one person is unlikely to create change, but multiple can come together, identify those responsible for a problem and apply pressure to solve it.

In times like these, when the U.S. democracy is in decline, more and more U.S. workers organizing casts a ray of hope.

Many things in the future may go wrong, but these last few years have shown that there is still a chance to fix things for future generations to live in a fulfilling society, specifically by addressing the workplace.

Want to know how to start? Talk to your coworkers.

Paulo Almiron is a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in political science and minoring in planning and public policy. His column, "The Other Side Of The Story," runs on alternate Mondays.

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