Are America’s labor unions relevant? Today union membership stands at 11% of wage and salary workers, a drop of nearly 9 percent over the past 30 years. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers who join unions on average make nearly $200 more weekly than those who do not. So, why are membership rates dropping and what can union leadership do to reverse these trends?Watch leaders from some of the nation’s largest labor unions explore the future of the labor movement, the role of labor unions in modern American politics, and the impact of right-to-work laws, political endorsements, and stalled legislation such as the Employee Free Choice Act on their membership.
Panelists Include: American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) President Richard Trumka, United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo Gerard, and former Treasurer-Secretary of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Eliseo Medina. Moderated by Steve Greenhouse, Labor Reporter for the New York Times.
[Click here to see the rest of this post]
