Reprinted from Labor Notes by Rand Wilson and Peter Olney on January 14, 2021.
“The labor movement’s pundits and prognosticators ring in the New Year like commentators anywhere,” write Rand Wilson and Peter in Labor Notes. “They make pronouncements about what ‘will’ happen and what ‘should’ happen to revitalize the shrinking US trade union movement.
“At 6.2 percent density in the private sector, US unions aren’t even treading water; we are drowning. That makes it more imperative than ever to engage members to strengthen connections between our union struggles and build broader public support.
“The best opportunity to involve union members in 2021 will be through the large-scale collective bargaining agreements that are due to expire this year. Economic struggles remain the center of gravity for the US working class and its organized members in particular. An analysis of the collective bargaining calendar points us in the direction of where those struggles are most likely to occur. …
