Posts tagged millennials
How Today’s Young Workers Are Creating a New Opportunity for Unions
June 2, 2025 // A new survey from LaborStrong found that 77% of workers aged 18-28 believe union workplaces are better than non-union ones. More than half say unions should be tackling urgent issues like AI and automation this year — not sometime in the future. And 56% of Gen Z workers are actively seeking out unionized workplaces when considering where to work. This is not nostalgia for the labor battles of the past. It's a new generation's urgent search for collective strength in a world that feels increasingly unstable.
Right-to-work facts vs. myths
February 12, 2025 // What’s become evident over the decades is that right-to-work laws are associated with statistically significant gains in employment, particularly manufacturing employment, job opportunities, population growth and economic growth. If New Hampshire adopts a right-to-work law, we would expect to see improvements in all of those areas, along with an improvement in state business tax revenues resulting from the additional business activity. As for freedom vs. coercion, workers have First Amendment rights not to associate with or fund membership organizations that they choose not to join. If workers want to join unions, they should be free to do so.
More Workers Are Filing For — and Winning – Union Elections Than in Any Year in the Past Decade
September 12, 2024 // A surge in union activity since the COVID-19 lockdown shows no signs of stopping, though it’s still not enough to reverse the two-decade downward trend in union membership in New York and across the nation.
Commentary: It’s the Side Hustle, Stupid
August 5, 2024 // These side hustlers are in addition to the millions of Americans who already earn all of our income as independent contractors. Many of us believe that this way of making a buck, with multiple streams of income, empowers us to avoid the kind of all-or-nothing layoffs that come with traditional jobs. Make no mistake: Having the ability to pick up a side hustle or go freelance is like a safety net in the back of many Americans’ minds. If, for whatever reason, we want or need to earn extra cash, we know this option exists.
Opinion: Is The American Labor Movement Ready For Gen Z?
February 12, 2024 // It’s fair to ask what any of this has to do with unions’ supposed goal of bargaining for better wages and conditions for workers. The data is regrettably clear: with this trend towards increased activism, representation for actual union members has suffered. Some of the nation’s largest labor unions routinely spend as much or more on political activities than they do on representing their existing members. For example, in 2022 the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over 1.8 million workers, spent $63.5 million on political activities and lobbying, which is more than double what it spent representing its membership. The American Federation of Teachers spent $46.9 million supporting Left-wing politics in 2023, while the National Education Association spent less on member representation than it did on political causes. Organized labor is already diverting too much time and money away from the well-being of workers and toward unrelated political agendas. As more members of Gen Z join unions and gain leadership positions, we can only expect this trend to increase.
What You Need To Know About Gen Z’s Support for Unions
August 10, 2023 // Nevertheless, to sustain a lasting revival of union membership in the United States over the coming years as today’s young workers make up an increasing share of the workforce, it is imperative for lawmakers to pass measures that would help these workers exercise their right to come together in collective bargaining. Congress has a number of measures that it could pass to help workers of all generations form unions without corporate interference, such as the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which would strengthen workers’ legal organizing protections. Young workers need policymakers who champion their right to speak up on the job.
YOUNG WORKERS INCREASINGLY — AND RIGHTFULLY — WARY OF UNIONS
April 28, 2023 // Unions, on the other hand, are notorious for their seniority-based systems, in which benefits and promotions are often based on years of service rather than merit. This can limit opportunities for ambitious young workers who want to excel in their careers based on their own talent and hard work rather than being bound by rigid union rules that prioritize age over performance. Moreover, unions can be a costly undertaking for young workers. Union dues can be expensive, and the burden falls more heavily on those making less. For young workers already struggling with student loans and other financial responsibilities, union dues can further strain their budgets. At the same time, young workers may never have the chance to fully benefit from the services provided by unions, such as pension plans, since they are less likely to stay with a single employer for their entire career.
Upwork Report: Freelancers Make Up 39% Of U.S. Workforce
January 6, 2023 // Upwork, a freelance marketplace, recently released its annual Freelance Forward survey. Their survey is considered “the most comprehensive study of the U.S. independent workforce.” Their 2022 report, released last month, says more American workers are seeking independent contract work “to find greater professional fulfillment, flexibility and financial stability, and a new approach to managing their career trajectory.”