Union Membership Decline 923

Karl Marx published his “communist manifesto” in 1848, suggesting that poor workers could improve their lot by beginning a “political struggle: The decline in monarchies and the rise of democracies made this possible. When the working poor in Europe migrated to the US colonies in the 1600s, they found freedom to prosper. They could actually own their own land and opted to fight to become independent from Britain. When the industrial revolution began and factory work replaced farming, they felt like Serfs. 

The Industrial Revolution began in England the 1800s based on the power and placement flexibility of the Steam Engine. It allowed the emergence of factory production in cities with roads, bridges and railroads. Improving transportation eventually made “home-made” goods obsolete. Men and Women and Families moved from farms to large cities. This increased density created the need for water and sewer treatment. In the US the 1800s were productive as the US landmass doubled and immigration took the US population from 5.3 million to 7.6 million and returned families back to agricultural ownership opportunities. Those who remained working in “Industries” passed on the Western movement and remained “Serfs”

US-based Labor Unions began in the 1860s as employees challenged owners’ private property rights enshrined in the US Constitution. The decline of the Labor Movement came as factories moved to sever union ties and management got smarter in working with employees. The adversarial relationship made factories fail.

Union membership declined from 33.2% in 1955 to 10% in 2020.

Year Union %

1950 31.5

1955 33.2

1960 31.4

1965 28.4

1970 27.3

1975 23

1980  21

1985 18

1990 16

2000 13

2020 10

2https://www.uschamber.com/employment-law/unions/union-membership-rate-at-record-low-in-2022022 10.0

https://www.historycentral.com/sixty/Economics/Laborunion.html

Comments

In 1890, the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed. In 1897, the Interstate Commerce Law was passed. These allowed the US federal government to break up monopolies when large companies manipulated the demise of their smaller competitors. When the US Federal Government ordered the breakup of the railroad monopoly, Vanderbilt was allowed to keep his millions in stock in the newly formed replacement companies. The same was true of Rockefeller and others.  The government seized these fortunes when the wealthy died using high inheritance taxes. In 1917 the US Federal income tax rate moved from 15% to 67%. Most remaining unions are in government and utilities and they are in trouble. Organizations thrive in win-win environments and fail in adversarial environments.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader