Business | Workers of the world unite

A strike at Chevron shows a reinvigorated union movement

Workers are taking on more American firms—at home and abroad

American Airlines flight attendants picket at LaGuardia Airport, New York City — He loves labour’s gainsImage: Getty Images

Sep 7th 2023

OVER THE past four decades American bosses have grown unused to labour unrest. Ever since Ronald Reagan sacked thousands of striking air-traffic controllers in 1981, shortly after being elected president (and despite once leading the Hollywood actors’ union), American trade unions have been relatively meek. America experienced an average of 17 big work stoppages (affecting 1,000 workers or more) a year from 2000 to 2022, down from 84 annually between 1977 and 1999. Union membership has fallen from a peak of 20m members in 1979 to just over 14m last year, split evenly between the public and private sectors. Just 6% of private-sector workers belong to a union these days, compared with more than 20% in the 1970s.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Workers of the world unite”