b'LEGALLY SPEAKING CSIA 9Even the U.S. House of Representatives hasIn the construction industry, union organizing recently voted to allow its staffers the right to unionize.is being helped substantially by President Bidens Americans approval of labor unions is at its highestrecent Executive Order on the use of project labor level in many years, as well. A recent Gallup pollagreements for federal construction projects which verifies that 68% of Americans approve of laborgenerally require the higher union wages, benefits unionsthe highest approval rating since 1971. and working conditions found in a union bargaining agreement. It is estimated that $262 billion in federal One need only look at Amazons and Starbuckscontracts causing the use of 200,000 workers union organizing activities to understand how fastwill see workers enjoy these higher wages and things are moving and how all businesses, bigbenefitsthereby introducing them to the unionized and small, have been impacted by the pro-laborconstruction world.environment. Who would have ever thought that Amazons 5000+ employee Staten Island distributionWhile the decline in union membership has facility would become unionized or that Presidentbeen somewhat steady since records started Biden would make a video presentation to thebeing kept in 1983 when 20.1% of the labor force employees supporting union organizing activitieswas unionized, things have changed.2020 saw at Amazons Alabama facility? Who would havethe first increase in the total percentage of union thought that the Workers United Union would organizeworkers since 2008. Currently, 13.6% of construction Starbucks multinational coffeehouse chain for theworkers are represented by unions while public-first time since the 1980s. And, what about thesector unionization is 33.9% versus 6.1% in the John Deere strike late last year that resulted in aprivate sector.collective bargaining agreement being negotiated with a 10% wage increase in the first year, $8500All of this information is compelling. It signals a ratification bonuses and an overall 20% increase inradical change in the labor movementa change wages during the life of the agreement? This wasyou may not have noticed. The changes coming in only one of approximately 250 significant strikesthe next few years may rewrite the history of U.S. that occurred in 2021. Union wages are soaringlabor forever and shift the balance of power from with Q1 2022 wage increases equaling 4.8%, themanagement to labor for quite some time. highest quarterly increase since 2007. With lump sum payments being added in, the average increaseIf you confront legal issues related to employment equals an unprecedented 6%. The Bureau of Laboror labor relations issues, use your Legal Services Statistics has reported that non-union workers tendPlan and contact Bob Dunlevey, Board Certified to make 17% less than their union counterparts andSpecialist in Labor and Employment Law, at (937) in the construction industry 31% less.641-1743 or email rdunlevey@taftlaw.com.The number ofNLRB union representation petitions filed grew by a whopping 58% from October 2021 to June 2022 compared to the same period previously. And, the election win rate which was 70% in 2020 has risen to 76.8% this year. Some employers are taking significant efforts to push back on the exploding union organizing activities. For example, it has been reported that Amazon spent $4.3 million in 2021 to counter union activities through consultants. Employers who never thought that their employees would seek union representation have had a rude awakening.csiaonline.org'