The US Labor Movement Notched Some Impressive Victories in 2022
The American labor movement remains weak. But from the sweeping Starbucks unionization drive to UAW reformers’ successful bid for union leadership, there were serious glimmers of hope in 2022 for a stronger, more assertive labor movement.
In the face of inflation and short staffing, we demanded bigger paychecks and more time for our lives outside of work. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Was it the pandemic? Was it new disasters from climate change? Was it the fact that employers are still begging for more workers?
Whatever it was, workers were ready to throw down this year. In the face of inflation and short staffing, we demanded more money in our paychecks and more time for our lives outside of work. We organized; we even exercised our strike muscles. And crucially, union members stood up to demand more from their unions and their leaderships.
Workers overturned a lot of conventional wisdom in 2022.
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