Solidarity Forever: An Examination of Labor Unions
Abstract
Despite their slow decay over the past few decades, unions are in a prime position to regain their former glory. The COVID-19 pandemic, the “Great Resignation”, and a recent wave of strikes across the country all indicate that the American people would consider the rebirth of unions as a positive. With this in mind, I analyze the history, philosophy, political environment, and economic benefits of labor unions to find solutions that will bring the organizations into the 21st century. Special focus is given to academic research regarding the effectiveness of strikes and Workers Self Directed Enterprises (WSDEs), which are firms that have no ownership outside of those who work there. As a result of this analysis, I find that WSDEs have been proven to be effective in the real world through the example of the Mondragon Corporation, that policies such as the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act need to be passed to secure the uneasy position of unions, and that labor unions need to push leftward in order to reinvigorate the masses behind their movement.
Solidarity Forever: An Examination of Labor Unions
ONU McIntosh Center; Dean's Heritage Room
Despite their slow decay over the past few decades, unions are in a prime position to regain their former glory. The COVID-19 pandemic, the “Great Resignation”, and a recent wave of strikes across the country all indicate that the American people would consider the rebirth of unions as a positive. With this in mind, I analyze the history, philosophy, political environment, and economic benefits of labor unions to find solutions that will bring the organizations into the 21st century. Special focus is given to academic research regarding the effectiveness of strikes and Workers Self Directed Enterprises (WSDEs), which are firms that have no ownership outside of those who work there. As a result of this analysis, I find that WSDEs have been proven to be effective in the real world through the example of the Mondragon Corporation, that policies such as the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act need to be passed to secure the uneasy position of unions, and that labor unions need to push leftward in order to reinvigorate the masses behind their movement.