Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a Manhattan Institute scholar who co-authored a book on “How Washington Is Betraying America’s Young”, wrote that the event didn’t address the “plight of workers trapped in a union” against their will. She criticized the National Labor Relations Board for instituting a quick system for union formation and a hard, protracted process for union disbandment. It was a soft sell of the deal to say the least.
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“Everybody knows and everybody agrees that collective bargaining is necessary if workers are going to start sharing in the economy”, Trumka said.
“I believe when people attack unions, they’re attacking the middle class”, Obama told attendees of the first-ever White House Summit on Worker Voice. Organized labor also contributes to the safety of workplace environments through advocating for workers in contracts and ensuring employer compliance with health and safety regulations. They’ve also helped organize fast-food workers in the region and pushed for new worker protections now being considered in Minneapolis. This started with Keystone XL and continued through to this most recent trade deal. Through advocacy and persistence, unions have increased awareness of occupational disease and altered the treatment of these occupational hazards as a result, improving working conditions in both unionized and non-unionized workplaces.
Overlooked in all of this glad-handing was the fact that the fundamental premise being espoused by the President is rooted nearly entirely in politics rather than reality.
Although working people in our country still have the right to form a union, the reality is that powerful corporate interests are trying to strip us of that right. Obama noted that this trend has coincided with a rise in inequality, and he identified a key challenge unions face if they hope to regain strength: attracting young people. This has been a favorite theme of the current secretary of Labor. In 1955, approximately one-quarter of all US workers belonged to a union; by 2014, the share had dropped to just below 10 percent, around the same level as the mid-1930s.
Spencer and Johnson really put the lie to a lot of the talking points being promoted by Barack Obama and their analysis is well worth reading in full.
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Generations of working Americans joined together to organize unions that gave them a seat at the table when decisions about their future were made. Democrats cite many factors in the history of wages, productivity and government policy, but it’s nearly entirely smoke and mirrors.
