With Labor Day on Monday, it’s not surprising to see headlines and news stories about the American worker. And there have been a lot of stories in the news in recent weeks and months about workers and unions.
There is the ongoing strike by Hollywood writers and actors and the on again off-again walkouts by hotel workers in L-A and Orange Counties. There is this week’s ratification of a new contract by dockworkers in Southern California after nearly a year long dispute. And there was the recent threats of a strike by hundreds of thousands of United Parcel Service workers before a settlement was finally reached.
The trend toward more unions has even spread to Starbucks this year and other less typical businesses that have had workers organizing.
And this is all happening as unemployment levels locally and across the country have been at their lowest levels in decades as more people find jobs after the layoffs during the pandemic years. With studies that show many Gen Z’ers and those in the younger generations quitting jobs to take better ones, the trend is likely to continue.
The impact of inflation has prompted more workers to look for more work and more employees with traditionally minimum wage jobs such as McDonalds, are paying more to attract more workers.
And now with AI technology changing the way some work is done and the fears of fewer workers needed for certain jobs, the future for American workers will remain a story in the news for some time to come.
(Photo Getty Images)
Photo: AFP via Getty Images