History of Labor Unions
Week 7 - 10/10/2019
“Over the last four decades, we have witnessed the near total destruction of this promise of worker empowerment. Beginning with Reagan, the U.S. economy was reorganized wholesale. Having failed to build up political leverage to ensure that private economic power remained accountable to the common good, workers saw private interests progressively shred the limited social bargain of the postwar years. Union membership has plummeted to 10.5 percent overall and only 6.4 percent in the private sector. Even more telling is the near disappearance of strikes. In the 1970s there were, on average, about 289 annual work stoppages involving at least 1,000 workers. As bargaining power shifted decisively to employers, that average has plunged, reaching only 13 per year over the last decade.”
- Sarita G., Stephen L., and Joseph M., Why the Labor Movement Has Failed—And How to Fix It
Our Educator Unionizing Panel. From right to left: Daniel Symonds, Devin Daniels, Audrey Jaquiss, & John Braxton
SUMMARY
What is labor? What is the history of labor unions and organizing? Case studies of labor strikes (PATCO air traffic controllers strike, grad student unionization, Ocean Hill Brownsville, and fast food workers).
And an incredible panel of labor/teacher unions featuring: the Caucus of Working Educators, the American Federation of Teachers at Community College of Philadelphia and Penn's own grad student union, GET-UP. @ University of Pennsylvania
What does labor mean? What is your experience with unions? What stood out in the resources from the timeline?
Select Readings from our timeline
Pantsuit Politics. (Producer). (2019, September 19). Five Things You Need to Know About Labor Unions [Audio podcast].
Rosemary, F. & Pearson, C. (2018). Five Ways Bosses Fight Labor. Jacobin Magazine.
Eidlin, B. (2017). Labor’s Legitimacy Crisis Under Trump. Jacobin Magazine.
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (Producer). (2013). PFT History: Solidarity Wins! [Web Video].
Wolfman-Arent, A. (2018). Pa. teachers unions could feel brunt of Supreme Court decision. WHYY PBS.
Rodriguez-McGil, M. (Writer), & Speer, J. (Director). (April 18, 2013). Ludlow Massacre. [Television series episode]. Colorado Experience. Rocky Mountain PBS.
Rousmaniere, K. (2005). Chicago Teachers Federation. In Encyclopedia of Chicago.
Case Studies
In class, we broke up into small groups and examined four case studies of educators organizing. We engaged multiple sources for each case.
In-Class Resources
Our Panel
Our panelists
John Braxton, CCP Teachers Union
Audrey Jaquiss, GET UP
Devin Daniels, GET UP
Daniel Symonds - Caucus of Working Educators
Jia Lee - MORE Caucus, part of network with WE Caucus.
Questions for the panelists
What role does social justice play in unionism?
What union win are you most proud of?
How do you make your union space inclusive?
If you would recommend us to study anything or add a (podcast, book, speaker, article, website, newsletter) to our lexicon, what would it be?
Panelist Bios
Click to Enlarge
Recommended Resources from Our Panelists
Jobs with Justice (Community Organization)
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. (30th Anniv, pp. 87–124). New York: Bloomsbury Academics.
McAlevey, J. (2016). No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Guilded Age. New York: Oxford University Press.
Fletcher, B. & Gapasin, F. (2008). Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path toward Social Justice. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Questions for Consideration from Class Notes
What is the relationship between unions and capital and the state? What are the contradictions of unions and how might they be transformed?
How did the PATCO strikes (and the subsequent mass firing of strikers) change unionization and union organizing?
What happens with automation and technology replacing workers?
Who owns the work that graduate students produce in a university?