How to Halt Labor’s Slow Death

The situation for unions is dire in 2018. The National Labor Relations Board, fragile even under Obama, is so unfriendly now that unions are pulling cases from it. The Supreme Court’s decision in Janus is due soon, and state governments are pushing private sector right-to-work bills. Americans are going to have to be convinced to be union members; unions can no longer count on simple maintenance. Bargaining for the common good has the potential to demonstrate the power and the importance of unions in raising living conditions, not just for members but for the broader population. If more unions organize like the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers does, the labor movement just might survive the age of Trump.