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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2019)
PAGE 16 | August 16, 2019 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS Unions will re-build the middle class By Alejandro Queral, Oregon Center for Public Policy Fast food workers demanding the right to form a union. Grocery store workers voting to strike for higher, more equi- table wages. Teachers taking to the street to pressure for increased school funding. Recent actions such as these offer hope for our nation. For as history and data make clear, the fortunes of organ- ized labor go hand-in-hand with those of the middle class. Today, with eco- nomic inequality having returned to levels not seen in more than eight decades, a revival of union power is essential. Historically, the fruits of organized labor have spread widely. Unions have led the effort to create an economy that works for all Americans, resulting in worker protections such as child labor laws, safer working conditions, over- time compensation, and the 40-hour work week. Following World War II, a vibrant labor movement nurtured a broad middle class by setting standards for wages and benefits. And while the beginnings of the labor movement were fraught with racism and discrimination, African-Americans and later workers of gonian in the middle. By 2016, that color came to make up a significant factor had jumped to 127 times. portion of union membership. This is no accident. In direct and in- By the late 1970s, union member- direct ways, unions buffer against eco- ship began to decline nationally and in nomic inequality and help ensure Oregon, especially among private sec- shared prosperity. tor workers. The offshoring of manu- The most direct way by which facturing jobs, more unions reduce in- aggressive efforts equality is by collec- from corporate lead- tively bargaining for As unionization waned, ership to deter union- higher wages. For ex- economic inequality be- ization, and a federal ample, Oregon’s low- gan to rise. In 1980, the government more est paid workers rep- richest one-tenth of 1 willing to look the resented by a union other way are among enjoy wages that are percent in the state — the many and com- 21 percent higher that the richest 1 out of plex factors leading non-union workers, every 1,000 Oregonians to the decline. In while unionized mid- — made 26 times the 1977, unions repre- dle-wage workers income of the Oregon- sented 34 percent of earn 17 percent more ian in the middle. By the Oregon work- than their non-union force. By 2018, that counterparts. 2016, that factor had share had dropped to Yet, the benefits jumped to 127 times. 15 percent. are not restricted to As unionization union members only. waned, economic inequality began to In industries where unions are preva- rise. In 1980, the richest one-tenth of lent, even nonunionized workers re- 1 percent in the state — the richest 1 ceive higher wages than similar work- out of every 1,000 Oregonians — ers in less unionized industries. This is made 26 times the income of the Ore- because the presence of unions in an Staff Charlie Johnson, Business Manager/FST Josh Eckelberry, Business Representative Joe Harris, Business Representative Vanessa Steward, Business Representative Brian Noble, Business Development Darrin Boyce, Business Development Russ Benton, Business Development Lisa Bloker, Secretary Callie Moore, Secretary Zoe Hoyt, Secretary industry can persuade nonunion em- ployers to raise wages and benefits to forestall unionizing campaigns and compete for workers. Likewise, unions can set standards for safety and bene- fits for all workers in an industry. Beyond gains in the workplace, unions also play a key role in setting the rules that govern the economy — rules that either promote broadly shared prosperity or prosperity for the few. Here in Oregon, unions were in- strumental in realizing a big increase to the minimum wage a couple of years ago. This year, unions led in achieving the biggest increase in edu- cation funding in the history of the state. This Labor Day, let’s honor the struggles of organized labor that built this nation’s middle class — and which will rebuild it in the years to come. Alejandro Queral is Executive Director of the Oregon Center for Public Policy (ocpp.org). The Center uses research and analysis to advance policies and prac- tices that improve the economic and social oppor- tunities of all Oregonians.
