Warren Says 'Unions Will Rebuild America's Middle Class' Despite Participation Numbers Dropping
For most Americans, the passage of Labor Day is a reminder that summer is over or, if you’re more sartorially minded, to stop wearing white. In fact, its associations with organized labor are almost entirely glossed over nowadays.
For Democrats, however, the Labor Day holiday is a chance to show their organized labor bona fides. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, in particular, was especially vociferous about it on social media this year, with the 2020 presidential hopeful claiming that “unions will rebuild America’s middle class.”
It’s too bad that America doesn’t seem to be listening, given the fact that the number of workers who are in unions is dropping.
So, first, the Warren tweets, which were effusive in their praise for the labor movement.
“Unions built the middle class—and unions will rebuild the middle class. If we want more good American jobs, then we need stronger unions and more power in the hands of the people. I’m proud to be fighting alongside our unions,” she wrote in the first one, complete with the hashtag #LaborDay.
Unions built the middle class—and unions will rebuild the middle class. If we want more good American jobs, then we need stronger unions and more power in the hands of the people. I’m proud to be fighting alongside our unions. #LaborDay pic.twitter.com/uoAqIq9tH2
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 2, 2019
“No matter how many times strikers and organizers have been told ‘it’s too hard, give up now,’ they’ve persisted,” she wrote in another, which was posted along with a short clip about the labor movement. “When workers organize and fight together, they win—and they can change America.”
No matter how many times strikers and organizers have been told “it’s too hard, give up now,” they’ve persisted. When workers organize and fight together, they win—and they can change America. #LaborDay pic.twitter.com/0dVQuz4wWz
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 2, 2019
Another noted that she began her campaign in Lawrence, Massachusetts, location of the famous Bread and Roses Strike — which she, of course, expounded on:
I began my campaign in Lawrence, MA, where textile workers—mostly women, nearly all immigrants—went on strike after their pay was cut. They put aside their differences and fought together for a better life. Their fight inspires and moves us today. pic.twitter.com/LMlrdUqK2w
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 2, 2019
And then there was this message for Labor Day:
Happy #LaborDay! Today we say loud & clear: unions built America’s middle class, & unions will rebuild America’s middle class. pic.twitter.com/GbzfDsa914
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 2, 2019
And another:
Coming out of the Great Depression, labor unions helped build America’s strong middle class. As our families got richer, our country got richer – & labor unions were a big part of it. Today, unions are under attack, & we need to fight back so workers can make their voices heard. pic.twitter.com/kM66Rb3CRg
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 1, 2019
However, if Warren thinks locking up the union vote is a guaranteed way to get the nomination — or the presidency — she should rethink her strategy.
Keep in mind, after all, that union membership has been trending down for decades. According to Quartz, the number of workers who are unionized in the United States is 10.5 percent, down from over 20 percent in 1984.
Only 6.4 percent of the private sector is unionized, compared with 16.8 percent in 1983.
Could a Warren presidency reverse this trend? It’s unlikely. This isn’t just limited to the United States. Worldwide, labor union membership is down as well, with almost every wealthy country experiencing a decline in membership.
The union is becoming more and more irrelevant as jobs change — as well as how we work. If Democrats like Warren remain beholden to them (and their donations), it’s going to lead them to some pretty bad political decisions. This is just doubling down on a losing strategy.
Whatever the case, it’s unlikely that unions are going to be rebuilding the American middle class (which is doing well enough in the Trump economy, by the way). They can’t even rebuild their own numbers.
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