A recent Gallup poll shows that America’s support for labor unions has jumped 5 percent in the past year, bringing it to 58 percent. This is the highest such figure since 2008 when 59 percent approved. The poll was conducted between August 5th and 9th and is part of Gallup’s annual Work and Education survey. The numbers show an improving image of unions which had reached an all-time low in 2009 after the government bailout of the big three auto companies.
Freight drivers in Texas voted to unionize. The workers at Con-Way in Laredo drive for the busiest inland port in the US, with over 7,000 trucks crossing the border each day.
In what is sure to anger Republicans seeking to curb the influence of labor, the National Labor Relations Board is proposing a streamlined process to make it easier for workers to organize. The new plan could cut time from petition to elections to under a month, scaring big business leaders who would prefer to indefinitely delay workers.
While Right-to-Work legislation has traditionally been the norm in the American south, the decision by the Michigan legislature to adopt the anti-union legislation has placed the issue on Canada’s doorstep. The importance may already be significant in light of a near 50-year low in the "coverage rate" for Canadian workers outside of the agriculture sector.
The Austin American-Statesman reported Friday that the Texas Supreme Court ruled "unionized government workers in Texas - including firefighters, police and teachers - don't have the right to be accompanied by a union representative while being questioned during internal investigations."
The Golden State is home to nearly 300 manufacturers that produce more than 27,000 direct and indirect jobs and has an economic impact of more than $6 billion.
Republicans in Michigan are pushing through "right to work" bills and Governor Rick Snyder is set to sign them in law. How did we get to this point and why now?
