Union organizers talk about "Hot Labor Summer" on Labor Day weekend
As the Bay Area settles into another Labor Day weekend, union organizers are rejoicing over the current state of organized labor.
They said the pandemic caused a seismic shift in the way business is done, and people are re-evaluating what's important in the workplace.
And along with that, came a surge in popularity of organized labor that is almost unprecedented.
At the annual Labor Day Weekend barbecue in San Jose, union activists were almost giddy with the way things are going for them right now.
"I think organized labor is doing spectacularly in the Bay Area. There's a real groundswell of support," said Jean Cohen, Executive Officer of the South Bay Labor Council, which organized the event.
"I can't really think of a time that's been any stronger in terms of labor actions and successful labor movement efforts," said State Senator Dave Cortese.
They're calling it the "Hot Labor Summer." Numerous large-scale strikes occurred across the state and nation, all of them resolved with victories for the unions.
"The pandemic educated the public about things that the labor movement already knew, which is that workers are the lifeblood of what keeps our economy running," said Cohen.
The public took the term "essential workers" to heart.
A Gallup Poll shows that public approval of organized labor is nearly 70 percent — its highest level since 1965. And unions are capitalizing on their new-found leverage, winning more elections in 2022 than any time in the last 17 years, with three times as many workers going on strike than the previous year.
That all led to what we've seen this summer.
"This has really been a summer of solidarity," Rep. Barbara Lee told the crowd, "But it's also sending a signal around the country that we are about unionizing California! That's what we're doing."
But, at the same time, tech innovations are rapidly replacing workers, from self-checkout machines at stores to driverless taxicabs. And Lorena Gonzalez, leader of the California Labor Federation, said there is another huge threat on the horizon.
"It's not just cars, and it's not just self-checkout," she said. "You're seeing the fight in Hollywood be about A.I. and whether or not A.I. is going to replace individuals' worth. Well, we think people are more important than robots and we're going to push hard to have honest, clear discussions about that."
Ron Lind has learned to take the highs with the lows. The retired activist began organizing grocery workers in the South Bay in the late 1970s.
"Oh, I've seen a lot," he said. "When I first started working in the labor movement as an organizer, it was right when Ronald Reagan was elected and fired the air traffic controllers. So, that was kind of a low point for the labor movement."
But he said if history has taught him anything, it's that the popularity of unions is cyclical.
"What's exciting is, right now, it's a prime time for labor. We talk about 'Hot Labor Summer' and organizing young workers coming together. So, it's exciting. I almost wish I was still working but not quite."
Everyone agreed that the state of the economy is what determines a union's clout. Now, with businesses and government agencies struggling with the shortage of workers, those who remain have a lot more bargaining power. And it seems they're not afraid to use it.