Discuss the historic increases and decreases in unionism in the United States and how it affects current labor relations today.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Unions are no longer as important as they used to be with only 13 percent of American workers belong to unions. This percentage is about half of what it was in the heyday of unionism in the mid-1950s. In 1930, unions had enrolled slightly less than 7 percent of the U.S. labor force, and by 1933, this figure had slipped to barely more than 5 percent. Membership peaked in the 1950s, but since then the unionization rate has fallen with few interruptions. One reason unionization in the United States has been declining is the shift of the U.S. labor force into service industries and out of manufacturing. In addition, American workers’ preferences seem to have shifted away from unions. The increasing share of women in the labor force may have contributed to this trend because women have traditionally been less prone than men to join unions. Finally, American unions came under increasing pressure in the 1990s and early 2000s because of stronger competition both at home and abroad. In response, firms closed plants and eliminated jobs. This “downsizing” trend made it even more difficult for unions to win concessions that improve the economic positions of their members, which has reduced the attractiveness of union membership.