Posts tagged unionize
Union Membership Stagnated in 2025 (report from Center for Economic and Policy Research)
January 28, 2026 // The share of US employees who are union members and the share who are covered by a union contract have both declined substantially over the past four decades (Figure 1). In 1983, 20.1 percent of workers were union members, and 23.3 percent were covered by a union contract. By 2010, union membership and coverage had fallen to 11.9 percent and 13.1 percent, respectively. In recent years, both measures reached historic lows. Membership declined to 9.9 percent in 2024 before ticking up to 10.0 percent in 2025, while coverage fell to 11.1 percent in 2024 and edged up to 11.2 percent in 2025. Throughout the entire period, the persistent gap between coverage and membership reflects the share of workers who benefit from union contracts without being union members.
SANTA MONICA: Council to Take Up Scaled Back Unionizing Ordinance
January 27, 2026 // The move to scale back the initial measure comes six months after the Council voted on July 8 to direct staff to draft an ordinance that would pave the way for unionizing businesses that lease space from the City. On August 21, nearly three dozen local businesses sent a letter to City officials warning the ordinance was "unnecessary and harmful" and comes at "the worst possible time"
Oregon Democratic lawmakers targeted by union-backed group
January 26, 2026 // An Oregon group backed by the state’s powerful labor unions is targeting at least four Democratic lawmakers through political ads in an effort to influence their votes on tax policy changes. The advertisements target Democratic Reps. Emerson Levy, Daniel Nguyen, Hai Pham and Sen. Janeen Sollman, all seen as more centrist members of their party.
NFIB WASHINGTON STATE: No Small Business Relief in Millionaire Tax Bill
January 26, 2026 // NFIB also opposed HB 2471 and SB 6117, which would allow unionizing small businesses under the state’s Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) through card check (also called cross check). We also signed in opposed to HB 2409 and SB 6045, which would allow unionizing farm workers through that same process and agency.
NTEU, White House spar over whether unions can challenge their ouster administratively
January 25, 2026 // The Trump administration contends unions can seek review of their ouster from most federal agencies on national security grounds before the Federal Labor Relations Authority, but labor groups say that analysis misconstrues a term of art in federal labor law.
Employees of popular Columbus ice cream brand vote to unionize
January 22, 2026 // Workers at all eight Columbus area scoop shops voted by nearly a 2-to-1 margin to join United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1059. Out of the 80 employees, 18 votes were counted as for and 10 votes were counted as against. Unionization efforts in the food and retail industries have increasingly focused on wages, scheduling stability and workplace conditions. Advocates say it gives them a more formal seat at the table.
Washington Democrats propose collective bargaining for farmworkers
January 21, 2026 // Washington Farm Bureau director of government relations Breanne Elsey told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Jan. 19 that farmworkers are excluded from the federal law for good reasons. Untimely labor disputes would bankrupt farms, she said. “Striking during harvest could threaten the small window of time farmers have to produce their income for the entire year,” she said. SB 6617 would apply to housekeepers and employees of some small businesses, as well as farmworkers. Senate Bill 6045 and House Bill 2409 are confined to collective-bargaining rights for just farmworkers. Those bills are scheduled for initial hearings Jan. 20.
Prominent Architecture Firm Is Accused of Illegally Ousting Employees
January 21, 2026 // The case comes amid a recent burst in union organizing in fields not traditionally associated with organized labor: tech workers, magazine journalists, doctors and pharmacists. Many see unions as a way to address a sense of lost autonomy and control, skimpy compensation or conflicts with management over the direction of their companies.
Rady Children’s Hospital challenges a vote to unionize by frontline workers
January 20, 2026 // Rady Children’s Hospital is challenging a vote to unionize by more than 1,500 frontline workers, including environmental services attendants, patient care assistants, patient access representatives, food service workers, medical interpreters, and medical assistants. The workers cited staffing shortages and working conditions they say affect patient care as the reasons behind the vote to unionize on Jan. 6.
New Mexico hospital nurses vote to unionize
January 15, 2026 // The vote covers about 350 nurses at the nonprofit hospital. CWA said the group will now focus on organizing four smaller satellite clinics and negotiating a first contract.