Wealthy corporations and their enablers have
spread 5 big lies about unions in order to stop workers from organizing and to protect
their own bottom-lines. Know the truth. Lie #1: Labor unions are bad for workers. Wrong. Unions are good for all workers -- even those
who are not unionized. In the mid-1950s, when a third of all workers
in the United States were unionized, wages grew in tandem with the economy. That’s because workers across America -- even
those who were not unionized -- had significant power to demand and get better wages, hours,
benefits, and working conditions. Since then, as union membership has declined,
the middle class has shrunk as well. Lie #2: Unions hurt the economy. Wrong. When workers are unionized they can negotiate
better wages, which in turn spreads the economic gains more evenly and strengthens the middle
class. This creates a virtuous cycle: Wages increase,
workers have more to spend in their communities, businesses thrive, and the economy grows. Since the the 1970s, the decline in unionization
accounts for one-third of the increase in income inequality. Without unions, wealth becomes concentrated
at the top and the gains don’t trickle down to workers. Lie #3: Labor unions are as powerful as big
business. Wrong. Labor union membership in 2018 accounted for
10.5 percent of the American workforce, while large corporations account for almost three-quarters
of the entire American economy. And when it comes to political power, it’s
big business and small labor. In the 2018 midterms, labor unions contributed
less than 70 million dollars to parties and candidates, while big corporations and their political action committees contributed 1.6 billion dollars. This enormous gulf between business and labor
is a huge problem. It explains why most economic gains have been
going to executives and shareholders rather than workers. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Lie #4: Most unionized workers are in industries
like steel and auto manufacturing. Wrong again. Although industrial unions are still vitally
important to workers, the largest part of the unionized workforce is workers in the
professional and service sectors -- retail, restaurant, hotel, hospital, teachers--which
comprise 59% of all workers represented by a union. And these workers benefit from being in a
union. In 2018, unionized service workers earned
a median wage of 802 dollars a week. Non-unionized service workers made on average,
$261 less. That’s almost a third less. Lie #5: Most unionized workers are white,
male, and middle-aged. Some unionized workers are, of course, but
most newly-unionized workers are not. They're women, they're young, and a growing
portion are black and brown. In fact, it’s through the power of unions
that people who had been historically marginalized in the American economy because of their race,
ethnicity, or gender are now gaining economic ground. In 2018, women who were in unions earned 21
percent more than non-unionized women. And African-Americans who were unionized earned
nearly 20 percent more than African-Americans who were non-unionized. Don’t believe the corporate lies. Today’s unions are growing, expanding, and
boosting the wages and economic prospects of those who need them most. They’re good for workers and good for America. What do you think? How can we change the narrative about labor
unions in America? Let us know in the comments. If you found this video informative, please
be sure to also watch our video on the “Importance of Labor Unions.” And, as always, please subscribe to our channel
for more videos like this one.
Yes. This video so succinctly puts the lies in perspective.
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Plaster this everywhere. It’s clear and succinct.