Strikes and contract negotiations have been in the news more lately. From the UAW to UPS, railroad workers, and more. Experts weigh in on what comes next.
Labor strikes and contract negotiations are making headlines more frequently than in recent years, with major movements such as the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike and the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes dominating the news. The UAW began their strike on September 14 after failing to reach an agreement with Detroit’s Big Three automakers—General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis—over the terms of a new contract.
Additionally, Hollywood experienced a rare double strike, with writers going on strike in May and actors joining in July. The Writers Guild of America reached a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in late September, while the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, remains on strike. A significant concern for both strikes has been the role of technology in reducing the number of workers needed, particularly with the rise of electric vehicles in the auto industry and the potential use of AI to replace writers in the entertainment industry.
Before these high-profile strikes, other labor movements were also making waves. In July, 340,000 UPS workers came close to striking before the Teamsters union agreed to a new contract, securing a substantial pay increase. Similarly, American Airlines pilots secured a significant pay bump after threatening a strike, signaling a broader trend in labor activism across multiple sectors.
Rick Eckstein, a professor and sociology program director at Villanova University, explained that the recent uptick in labor actions reflects the frustration many workers feel after years of stagnant wages and benefits. Following the 2007-08 financial crisis and the Great Recession, workers saw their pay and benefits shrink while corporate profits and executive compensation skyrocketed. Many workers expected improvement in their conditions as the economy recovered, but instead, they found themselves falling further behind.
The growing labor movements raise important questions about the future of work in America. Will these movements lead to lasting change in wages, benefits, and working conditions, or will they be short-lived? The outcome of these negotiations and strikes could have a significant impact on the trajectory of labor rights in the U.S. for years to come.
