Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 26, 2021 | Worcester Business Journal 9 Milford Regional Medical Center voted in February to join the Massachusetts Nurses Association. A few weeks later in early March, more than 600 doctors in training at UMass Medical School voted to join the Committee of Interns and Residents, a nationwide group of 17,000 resident physicians and fellows. e length of the Saint Vincent strike surprised many experts, who said such standoffs are usually settled more quickly. While not speaking about Saint Vincent in particular, experts said such a relatively long strike can tend to favor an employer with deeper pockets than striking workers with bills to pay. "e longer it goes on, the more it favors the owners," said Leonard Samborowski, a management professor at Nichols College in Dudley. Potential changes ahead No matter the outcome of the Saint Vincent strike, which hasn't gained much broader news coverage, experts said there could be a resurgence of sorts for organized labor, particularly with widening financial inequality, rising public approval, and a pro-union federal administration. "ere's a good chance that unions may see a bit of a bounce," said David Gulley, an economics professor at Bentley University in Waltham. A union rebound would be a huge accomplishment aer such a long period of decline, Gulley said, especially given legal changes and some declining political power. Rising public support – 65% as of last summer, according to Gallup – can play a substantial role, said Megan Way, an economics professor at Babson College in Wellesley. at's because unions need political support, which stems from voters. In Saint Vincent's case, striking nurses have gotten support from three members of the state's Congressional delegation – U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey – as well as Attorney General Maura Healey, all Democrats. Steven Tolman, the president of the AFL-CIO of Massachusetts, an umbrella union group, has seen unions' longtime challenges firsthand. e former state senator was a railroad worker in the early 1970s, and he said he watched as businesses' increasingly hardline stances toward unions became more common. Today, he said, unions remain critical for their ability to improve the lives of their working members. "We are the only ones able to fight inequality," Tolman said. "If you have a union, you have the right to stand up against injustice, the right to advocate for safer working conditions, and most importantly, the right to good wages." e Amazon vote was closely watched nationally in the labor industry, including whether it could signal bigger workplace changes ahead for the e-commerce giant that's become one of the country's largest private employers. at follows a California ballot vote last fall in which so-called gig employers such as Uber and Ly were exempted from classifying drivers as workers, and instead as independent contractors. Few in the industry expected the failed Amazon effort to be successful – it was stacked against a huge company and not in a geographic union stronghold. But it could be the first effort of what may end up as a series of failed efforts before one is successful, Juravich said. Legislative help may be on the way. A bill, the Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO, Act, would limit employers' ability to stand in the way of union organizing and strengthen the government's powers to punish companies violating workers' rights. It faces a daunting challenge in the Senate, but experts nonetheless see a shi in place. "It could take some time," Way said, "but the tide is starting to turn." W Customized solutions from a local team, here to help you face your current business challenges. Let's get you back to business. Member FDIC For more information, visit RocklandTrust.com/Worcester or call, Michael Crawford SVP, Worcester Market Executive 508.769.2944 Unions will weaken Will the power of unions increase in the near future? Nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester have been on strike as they tussle with administration. At the same time, the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations cer- tified in March the ability of residents and fellows at UMass Medical School to collective- ly bargain. These Central Mass. developments are part of a larger national push across multiple sectors, including efforts to organize graduate workers in higher education at Columbia University and Harvard University. President Joe Biden has come out as friendly to union organizing efforts, as the national income disparity is increasingly be- coming a talking point. Yet, the moves come against the backdrop of Amazon workers in Alabama strongly voting against forming a union. When polled online, more than half of WBJ readers said unions will not gain power in the near future. COMMENTS Yes, both locally and nationally. 29% F L AS H P O L L 5% Yes, but only locally in Massachusetts. "Private sector unions are all but dead. Public sector unions should be outlawed for the damage they are doing to our country." No, unions will simply hold onto the power they have. 29% No, unions will weaken. 37% "Amazon has proved to be an employer that people want to work for. The employees are satisfied with their treatment, in terms of wages and benefits. We say the union voted down many times, right here in Worcester, at Norton Co., because it was a good company to work for. Unions gain strength, when employees feel unappreciated and powerless." 10% 15% 20% 300K 400K 500K Percent of workers Number of workers 12% 357K 9% 12% 15% Percent of workers Number of workers 13.4% 16.3M 10.8% 10M 15M 20M 414K 14.2% 14.3% '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 10% 15% 20% 300K 400K 500K Percent of workers Number of workers 12% 357K 9% 12% 15% Percent of workers Number of workers 13.4% 16.3M 10.8% 10M 15M 20M 414K 14.2% 14.3% '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 Union workers The number and percent of workers who belong to a union has fallen over the past two decades both in Massachusetts and nationally. Massachusetts union members U.S. union workers Note: Number of workers are rounded to nearest thousand. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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