After years of declining membership, unions have an opportunity to garner support with a new generation of workers. A report from the Economic Policy Institute shows that U.S. front-line workers’ attitudes toward labor unions are softening, which could have a significant impact on worker advocacy among people under 30.
“The Rise of the ‘Union Curious,’” co-authored by Thomas Kochan, an MIT Sloan professor of management emeritus, also found that fewer nonunion workers oppose unions than in the past.
The research comes at a pivotal time for unions. In 2023, a record 450,000 workers went on strike, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In recent months, high-profile strikes among organizations as varied as Boeing, Starbucks, and the International Longshoremen’s Association have underscored union activity.
Unions experienced a golden age after the passage of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 through the 1950s, and public sector unions continued to grow through the 1960s.
“But the private sector unions have declined precipitously. They’re now down to [representing] about 6% of the private sector labor force,” Kochan said in an interview. “Clearly, a different model or a model that expands on what they’re doing now is needed if that number is going to turn around.”
The researchers found that more than 45% of 2,500 younger workers surveyed are “union-curious,” meaning they are open to, but uncertain about, the possibility that unionization could improve their lives. This is an influential group that will help to determine whether current union activity will lead to sustained worker gains.
Nonunionized workers under 30 are key for union support. Among the nonunionized, younger workers are more supportive of unionization at their workplaces than their older colleagues: Forty percent of nonunion workers age 30 or under said they are outright supporters, whereas 32% of their older colleagues expressed the same view.
Nonunion workers who feel they lack a voice are more likely to support unionization. Some workers indicated that they are eager for a sense of autonomy that unions could potentially provide. These workers expressed feeling a lack of influence over working conditions such as benefits, pay, promotions, safety, and scheduling.
Unions need to expand their areas of reach in order to resonate with modern workers. While majorities of nonunion workers have positive views of unions in general, there are still areas of substantial ambivalence.
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By Kara Baskin / MIT Sloan
