RED MSU: State of the Unions

January 24, 2022

Since reaching peak popularity in the 1950s, union membership in the U.S. has been on a downward spiral for decades.

But the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the tectonic plates of U.S. commerce, upending American working life in multiple ways. Organized labor has been quick to seize the moment, demanding better wages, benefits and working conditions for workers.

“I think the unions have exploited the current situation very wisely, and with good reason,” said Kishore Kulkarni, Ph.D., distinguished professor of Economics at Metropolitan State University of Denver. “The additional Covid-related burdens workers face just now – what economists call ‘opportunity costs’ – absolutely should be compensated with increased benefits and wages.”