2022 in review: Labor’s struggle survived, succeeded here and there

Despite ongoing headwinds from Big Business, organized labor enjoyed a banner years for much of 2022, with nurses, miners, teachers, art workers, journalists and factory workers organizing, bargaining, striking and achieving contracts from coast to coast.

For many, there were mixed results, but strong solidarity generally held the line.

Even in Brookwood, Ala., where more than 1,000 Mine Workers went on strike against Warrior Met Coal on April 1, 2021, the rank and file exhibits amazing grit and determination.

“We are ready to go back to work at Warrior Met, but we aren’t going to roll over,” said Larry Spencer, a Vice President of the UMWA District 320. “We are going to stay strong and continue to fight.”

Some relevant numbers:

* Gallup polls show more than 70% of the U.S. public approves of unions,

* the number of groups petitioning the NLRB for union elections was up 53% between October 2021 and September 2022,

* Unfair Labor Practice charges filed were up 23%, and

* the number of strikes also was up almost 50% since 2021, according to Cornell University.

 

The highest profile actions were at Amazon, with the independent Amazon Labor Union and Starbucks, where SEIU-affiliated Starbucks Workers United won 90% of their National Labor Relations Board union elections (including the coffee chain’s Peoria Campustown location), now approaching 300 across the country.

The growing games industry saw successful union drives, too, as the Communications Workers of America prevailed at two units of Activision Blizzard.

“These historic victories have given hope to overworked employees in the gaming industry that a union is possible in this very non-union sector,” commented the Washington, D.C.-based research group Labor 411.

The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union ratified a four-year contract with multinational ingredients maker Ingredion, ending a 175-day strike at its Cedar Rapids facility.

The United Auto Workers organized a battery plant in Ohio with 98% Yes votes, and settled lengthy strikes at Deere in the Quad Cities and CNH in Burlington.

Trader Joe’s United workers won three union elections, in Louisville, Minneapolis, and Hadley, Mass.

Of course, there are risks in organizing and job actions.

For example, Trader Joe’s had intense opposition to organizing, now a new, unfortunate norm.

“The company has made it very clear that they will do whatever they can to stop this effort in its tracks,” said Louisville organizer Connor Hovey.

But since the pandemic, many workers started demanding more – and leaving when they weren’t satisfied – and that gave workers leverage.

“If there’s nobody in line to take your job because there are just not enough people, that gives you incredible strength in striking,” said Cathy Creighton of Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, adding that many workers won concessions from employers.

Still, as a group, U.S. employers spend about $340 million annually in “union-avoidance” schemes that often violate federal law with few consequences, according to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

Some employers blatantly break laws.

At Tesla, writes University of Oregon labor scholar Gordon Lafer, “the Labor Board recently concluded that the company committed a series of violations, including illegally firing one union supporter and disciplining another because of their union activity; threatening employees with a loss of stock options if they joined a union; restricting employees from speaking with the media; coercively interrogating union supporters; and barring employees from distributing union information to their co-workers.

“So, too, the CEO at Fuyao Glass — the country’s largest producer of automobile glass — was filmed openly reporting to the firm’s chairman that he had fired employees who tried to organize a union.”

Nevetheless, EPI finds that 60 million additional Americans – about 48% of the whole non-union labor force – would join a union if laws that exist to ensure labor rights were actually enforced. Some optimism occurred last year when NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo notifed Regional offices that she’s seeking to revive the decades-long “Joy Silk” doctrine making union recognition the standard unless an employer as a “good-faith doubt” a majority supports unionization. She also expects employers that break the law to pay significant penalties, with the Board resorting to “remedies available to ensure that victims of unlawful conduct are made whole for losses suffered as a result of unfair labor practices.”

In greater Central Illinois workers were committed:

* Stand Up for Social Justice did so against political opposition (or timid support) for labor reform in the PRO Act.

* The Teamsters and United Food & Commercial Workers both organized dozens of cannabis dispensaries throughout Illinois, and downstate may see stepped-up organizing since cannabis dispensaries are operating in Bloomington, Canton, East Peoria, Galesburg, Normal, Pekin, Peoria and Quincy.

* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees locals were active at Illnois State University, the Red Cross, and the City of Peoria

* Minor league ballplayers got improvements in housing and pay, and they still unionized nationally

* The Ironworkers organized a small unit at G&D Integrated in Morton, winning an election 18-4, and workers still stand strong against dozens of ULPs forced to fight as they wait for bargaining to start.

* Service Employees filed ULPs and defied suppression at UIUC.

* Rivian workers were helped in their allegations of safety problems resulting in complaints with the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration through assistance from the UAW, possibly eying organizing the electric-vehicle manufacturer.

* Rail workers in the Galesburg area rallied in support of the continental effort to improve their wages, hours and working conditions, and apart from Congress imposing a settlement, they made gains and changed the cultural conversation about sick leave.

* The American Postal Workers Unions won a union election at 10 Roads Express 53-10 and after a brief work stoppage will negotiate their first contract.

* And the Peoria Federation of Teachers rallied and won a good contract.

“The turning point was when we had a rally outside of the administration building/school board meeting,” said PFT bargaining chair Matt McCaw. “We honestly estimated over 800 teachers/community members were there to support the union bargaining efforts. That show of solidarity really strengthened our position and helped the bargaining team.”

Nationally, it was significant when Apple was forced to reach a deal with investors to audit the company’s labor practices in response to criticism about the corporation’s actions with union organizing (Apple stores in Oklahoma City and Towson, Md., won union elections, but the NLRB has criticized Apple for management actions against workers in Atlanta, Columbus, Ohio, and New York City.

“I’m incredibly hopeful that this will be done in an unbiased manner and Apple will kind of change direction instead of actively trying to dissuade organizing efforts, and take a more active approach in ensuring a healthy relationship with any stores that choose to organize,” said Michael Forsythe, a organizer at Apple’s Oklahoma City store.

“At the end of the day, when you’re gaining better working conditions for yourself, the ability to take better care of yourself and things like that, it’s worth six months of a struggle in order to lay a foundation for yourself and your co-workers so everybody else can have a much better experience.”