Is This True? New Yorkers LOVE Unions

Hold your mule. Even if you don't like unions for any number of reasons-- turns out New Yorkers in general do--historically (click this link for context of the historical implications of unions in NY state)-- like, and maybe even LOVE unions.

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In the US as a whole, support for unions is at record highs. But before we get into that, for those who may be new-- Business Insider describes unions like this:

Put simply, a union is group of workers that comes together to represent the interests of workers and guarantee certain conditions like hours, wages, and working conditions. Unions are formed either through an NLRB-sanctioned employee vote or by a company voluntarily recognizing the union.

Unionizing is a federally protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act, a law passed in 1935 that grants employees the right to form or join a union. The law, also known as the Wagner Act, protects employees' right to discuss their working conditions with coworkers and to join together in attempting to improve those conditions. The law also guarantees workers' right to organize and to collectively bargain, as well as the right to strike under certain conditions. According to a 2020 report by the Economic Policy Institute, union members earn an average of 11.2% more than their non-unionized peers.

Sounds cute right? Better pay. More favorable work environment. More job security. What's not to LOVE--or, at least, like strongly? And why do so many people NOT like even the idea of unions?

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Business Insider says it's because of this:

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Those who oppose unions highlight that members are required to pay dues, either as a percentage of their pay or a fixed rate.

And this:

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Experts also point out that unions could lead to less collaborative relationships between employees and their supervisors, and could favor employees with seniority over newer employees.

Which is fair. So where in the world does the idea that New Yorkers LOVE unions come from? Meh. But New York is the most unionized state by far. So there's that. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts out a report at the top of every year detailing, numerically, where unions stand in the labor force. The 2023 report states that union membership is down overall, but New York and Hawaii have "the largest number of wage and salary workers belonging to unions." And that's not nothing.

There's definitely a history about unions worth exploring and worthy of our continued study. I would venture to say that while maybe every New Yorkers doesn't LOVE unions, most folk wouldn't "swipe left" if they showed up on the dating apps either-- if Starbucks, UPS, The Writers Union, Sag/Aftra, and Amazon (to name a few) have anything to say about it.  As does this guy on Tik Tok.

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