CNBC has a story about how “it is a particularly prudent time for unionized workers to organize as they enter new contracting periods, experts day.
Cumulative wage growth is still faster for nonunionized workers than for unionized workers, but the gap is narrowing, said Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter.”
There is a shift taking place: “Compensation for union workers is up just 11% since the first quarter of 2020, compared with 14.6% for nonunion workers, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data from the second quarter of 2023.
“However, wages for union workers grew 4.6% alone in the second quarter of 2023, narrowing the gap with employees who do not belong to unions. The rise in pay growth for unionized employees this year stems, in part, from significant labor action, including a string of labor deals resulting in higher pay.”
CNBC writes that “through Oct. 9 this year, approximately 453,000 workers have participated across a total of 312 strikes, significantly higher than the 180 strikes involving 43,700 workers during the same period two years ago.”
The story notes that “the latest data does not reflect recent deals between the United Auto Workers and Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Stellantis, where some employees could receive 25% wage increases.
KC’s View:
While the chain drug store workers who are staging walkouts all over the country are not unionized, the weakness and impotency of their employers’ responses strikes me as setting the table for possible union organizers. And it seems clear to me that a sense of militancy is growing in a number of sectors, and it is going to be important for retailers to get in front of issues that may concern their front line workers.
You can’t make the same mistake as CVS, Walgreens and even Starbucks – losing focus on what is happening in stores to the degree that the people enable your success feel that you are completely disconnected from reality and start considering their options.
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