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Is There Any Future for a US Labor Movement?

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  • Suresh Naidu

Abstract

A recent flurry of labor movement activity has been driven by younger workers, tight labor markets, and a sympathetic federal government. Nonetheless, US union density remains low, even as unions remain popular. This is because employer opposition and US labor law together imply that workers need to overcome substantial collective action problems at work in order to win union recognition and collective bargaining agreements. These barriers make dense social networks and high levels of social capital at work a prerequisite for unionization. Labor organizing can build this social capital, but faces an uphill battle without policy changes that extend collective bargaining across employers and up the value-chain and make unionization easier. Partnering with labor unions, researchers can study theoretical problems of collective action while also getting a window into what strategies of a renewed labor movement may work.

Suggested Citation

  • Suresh Naidu, 2022. "Is There Any Future for a US Labor Movement?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 36(4), pages 3-28, Fall.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jecper:v:36:y:2022:i:4:p:3-28
    DOI: 10.1257/jep.36.4.3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Henry S Farber & Daniel Herbst & Ilyana Kuziemko & Suresh Naidu, 2021. "Unions and Inequality over the Twentieth Century: New Evidence from Survey Data," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 136(3), pages 1325-1385.
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    8. Erling Barth & Alex Bryson & Harald Dale-Olsen, 2020. "Union Density Effects on Productivity and Wages," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 130(631), pages 1898-1936.
    9. Jeffrey Clemens & Michael R. Strain, 2020. "Public Policy and Participation in Political Interest Groups: An Analysis of Minimum Wages, Labor Unions, and Effective Advocacy," NBER Working Papers 27902, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chantal Pezold & Simon Jäger & Patrick Nüss, 2023. "Labor Market Tightness and Union Activity," NBER Working Papers 31988, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Lee Changkeun & Kim Olivia Hye, 2023. "Unions and Automation Risk: Who Bears the Cost of Automation?," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 23(3), pages 843-851, July.
    3. Carlo Medici, 2024. "Closing Ranks: Organized Labor and Immigration," CESifo Working Paper Series 11437, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • J52 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Dispute Resolution: Strikes, Arbitration, and Mediation
    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence
    • K31 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Labor Law
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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