The Labor Movement in the United States: What to Know

The labor movement in the united states is the ongoing effort by workers, through unions, to secure fair wages, better working conditions, and job security by negotiating together.

It’s shaped vital workplace standards—like the 8-hour day, workplace safety rules, and protections against discrimination—while creating economic value for union members and their communities.

Strong unions drive higher pay, better benefits, and a voice on the job. Choosing union-made products reinforces these gains and makes solidarity visible. For unions and their members, supporting the labor movement means standing up for workplace justice and investing in a fairer future.

Start With the Challenge: Why the Labor Movement in the United States Matters Today

Labor unions matter because so many workers face the same battles: wage stagnation, unpredictable shifts, and the constant fear of job loss. These struggles drive frustration on the shop floor and in union meetings alike. Our mission is to turn these pain points into practical, positive action.

Key Reasons Why Your Union Cares:

• Wage wins stack up: Treasury analysis shows collective bargaining delivers a 10–15% union wage premium. Longer-tenured members see even bigger gains, so every contract counts.
• Everyone benefits: For every 1% rise in private-sector union membership, nonunion wages also tick up. You lift the floor for all when you organize and win.
• Real-world momentum: In 2023, there were 345 strikes with nearly 460,000 workers. This surge signals a shift—more people are standing up, not standing back.
• Safety gets serious: OSHA is building worker and union participation into regulations. When unions have a seat at the table, safety is not just a policy—it saves lives.
• Consumer power lives: Buying union-made products, like those from Promote Unions, does more than boost pride; it pushes employers to value every job and every voice.

Growing your union means more than wages. It’s about securing better schedules, recognized safety standards, fair grievance procedures, and dignity at work.

Every strike, every negotiation, every union-made purchase builds leverage for change your members see and feel.

Our commitment is to provide union-made apparel and branded gear that amplify your message of solidarity and ensure every purchase supports union jobs in North America.

Trace the Journey: A Brief Timeline of the Labor Movement in the United States

To understand today’s labor movement, you must know the history—where we’ve been, what worked, and why the fight never ends. Every campaign today stands on the shoulders of historic wins, from early unions to modern industrial action.

Key Labor Milestones and Their Impact

• Pullman Strike (1894): A national boycott that brought the country to a standstill. The federal crackdown showed the stakes, but the uproar prompted lawmakers to rethink labor law and conflict resolution.
• Flint Sit-Down Strike (1936–37): A 44-day occupation against GM forced management to the table. Workers’ courage here helped birth true industrial union power—and inspired actions that raised wages and stabilized jobs across industries.
• Delano Grape Strike (1965–70): Farmworkers, many of whom had been invisible to labor law, pioneered a mix of strike and consumer boycott. The result? Health and safety reforms and union contracts in a sector often left behind.
• PATCO Strike (1981): The firing of air traffic controllers ushered in a hard reset on labor relations for government workers, serving as a cautionary tale on risks but also fueling pushback and defense of public sector organizing.
• The Wagner Act (1935): This landmark law made collective bargaining a right, not a favor. It’s the framework that shapes every union campaign today.
• Modern surge: Healthcare, education, and service unions now drive growth, using a mix of classic picket lines and modern digital campaigns.

Every chapter shows this: organizing tactics adapt, but wins always come from member action and public pressure.

Clarify the Terms: What Is a Union and How Does It Work?

Unions can feel complicated from the outside, but at their core, they’re simple: workers coming together to win a better deal—period. Clear knowledge gives your members an edge, especially when facing management’s anti-union campaigns.

Union Building Blocks and Truths

• Collective bargaining: Your contract isn’t a handshake; it’s a legal document that sets wages, conditions, grievance rights, and safety tweaks you can enforce.
• NLRB: Think of the National Labor Relations Board as the referee. Recent spikes in election petitions and charges mean it’s busier—and more relevant—than ever.
• Right-to-work: These laws ban mandatory dues in some states. But here’s the truth: where unions bargain, real gains stick, even when dues are voluntary.
• Shop stewards: The frontline. They handle grievances and keep locals strong and connected across shifts and job sites.
• Strikes: Used strategically, strikes can win big. Recent data shows strikes are up, and they’re working: more contracts, more respect, more safety.
• Debunking myths: Unions do not kill jobs. Study after study shows wage and safety gains, even where union membership isn’t universal.

The knowledge gap kills organizing momentum. Equip your team to spot, share, and stand up for every workplace right.

Show the Impact: How Has the Labor Movement Changed American Jobs and Society?

Every contract your union wins makes workplaces safer, schedules steadier, and paychecks bigger. But the labor movement’s reach goes far—touching your homes, communities, and the national economy.

Labor’s Proven Payoff

• Wages and benefits: Data shows union members regularly earn 10–15% more than nonunion peers. Pensions, health plans, and stable schedules began as union demands.
• Workplace fairness: Unions narrow racial and gender pay gaps, especially in education and public jobs. Standardized pay scales translate to equity every payday.
• Health and safety: Unions pushed for the creation of OSHA and continue to drive safety reforms. From heat protections to site walkarounds, union involvement means safer shifts.
• Civic gains: Union members vote more, volunteer more, and drive higher standards in their communities—not only for themselves but for neighbors and future workers, too.
• Resilience and resurgence: Even as union density dropped, strikes and organizing petitions soared in 2023–24. Healthcare and higher ed stand out as new centers of organizing.

One education worker’s win on health coverage. One hospital’s staffing victory. These are the stories that add up—and inspire future fights.

Union action isn’t old news. It’s how we secure tomorrow’s dignity, fairness, and freedom at work—together.

Highlight the Power: Why Union-Made Products Matter for the Labor Movement

Your organization’s choices tell a story. Every time you select union-made apparel, committee jackets, or event gifts, you’re not just checking a box—you are making a statement about what your union stands for. Union-made products keep jobs fair, wages strong, and skills local.

Why Union Labels and Union-Made Purchases Matter

• Proof of principle: Union labels signal the real deal. A product with a union certification mark means it’s made by workers under a union contract—negotiating wages, safety, and respect on every line.
• High-standards guarantee: Union-made gear, like our jackets with water-resistant tech or thermal lining, meets higher benchmarks. This isn’t just talk—union products are held to union standards by the contracts that created them.
• Ethical edge: Your purchase choices are organizing tools. Campaigns built around union labels educate members, boost morale, and move dollars toward employers who value fair labor.
• Legal firepower: Certification marks like “Union Quality – UAW” can be negotiated in contracts. They’re regulated symbols, not just promotional badges. It’s a concrete way to lock in workplace gains.
• Economic ripple: Buying union strengthens local economies. Bigger paychecks, more spending in the community, and greater financial security for members means your dollars do double duty.

Every union-made product is a visible vote for dignity at work and accountability in manufacturing.

Spotting the label matters. You want certification—not just a logo. Always demand it in your union’s purchases, bids, and events.

Bridge the Gap: Common Objections to Unions and How to Respond

Pushback is real, and you hear the same doubts over and over. Equip your members, stewards, and leaders with facts, not just passion. Here are clear answers, backed by data and everyday experience, ready to use in any meeting or organizing drive.

Objections Unpacked—And Answered

• Dues drain budgets: Union dues support bargaining, grievance wins, and member services. Studies show the average wage bump for union members easily beats the monthly cost of dues—by a lot.
• Strikes hurt the bottom line: Strikes can sting, but they win lasting raises and safety provisions. Examples from Flint to modern healthcare show that short-term action pays off for years.
• Unions are outdated: Workers in tech, healthcare, and education are organizing in record numbers. Increased NLRB petitions and strikes in 2024 prove unions are adapting faster than most other institutions.
• Job killer myth: The data’s clear. Union shops lift wages for everyone—union and nonunion workers both see gains when union density rises.
• Retaliation worries: Federal law protects organizing rights. Document violations, use NLRB remedies, and remember—there is strength in numbers.

The best defense against anti-union spin is simple, evidence-based truth.

Share these facts, post them, and build trainings around them. Every informed member is an organizing multiplier.

Take Action: How to Participate in the Labor Movement in the United States

You want results. Building a stronger labor movement doesn’t just happen in contract talks. It starts in the break room, the union office, and on the product choices you make for your members.

There’s a role for every organizer, steward, and ally.

Step Up: Your Rapid-Action Checklist

• Learn your rights: Know the NLRA and how the NLRB works. Familiarity with election and grievance procedures puts real power in your pocket.
• Start the conversation: Unite co-workers with regular talks, meetups, and by wearing union-made gear that makes solidarity visible.
• Track employer tactics: Document captive meetings, policy changes, and anti-union moves. Fast reporting builds your union’s case.
• Demand union-made: Require certification marks and union labels when buying office supplies or event apparel. Promote Unions makes sourcing transparent and simple.
• Engage your community: Partner with local groups, and publicize your wins. Civic strength reinforces bargaining power.
• Check political allies: Research voting records and labor policies of local leaders. Hold politicians accountable.

Small, consistent actions build habits. Habits win contracts and shape public debates—one step, one shift, one product at a time.

Connect the Dots: The Future of the Labor Movement in the United States

Today’s labor movement is not looking backward. More strikes, more organizing, more wins in sectors that shape the future—this is labor’s new story. Unions thrive by focusing on growth, smart adaptation, and practical solidarity.

Unions are meeting automation, AI, gig work, and shifting membership patterns head-on. Collective bargaining isn’t just about wages anymore—it’s about oversight on tech, securing job classifications, and keeping fair work local.

Opportunities are rising fast in healthcare, higher education, and services. Unions now use certification marks and public campaigns as force multipliers. Interagency cooperation is making regulatory wins possible around safety and workplace fairness.

We see union energy in every sector—from AI bargaining to sectoral contracts. There’s power in numbers, in knowledge, and in every union-made order your members receive.

Conclusion: Choose Solidarity and Shape the Future of Work

The path is clear. The labor movement in the United States grows every time a union member wins a raise, chooses union-made, or stands up for safer work.

You shape the standard for everyone who comes after. Every action—negotiation, purchase, or rally—builds a better, fairer future.

Invest in union-made. Rally your coworkers. Demand results and transparency from every purchase and every leader.

Solidarity is a practice—choose it daily, and let’s raise the bar together.