Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | May 30, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 15 W O R C E S T E R ' S 3 0 0 Y E A R S F O C U S WORCESTER HAPPY 300 BIRTHDAY TH Thank you for being our home. Mirick O'Connell in Worcester. "e world was in shambles and needed to be rebuilt, and we were the ones doing it. Unions could come in because they had gotten a foothold in some of these industries. If they needed a dollar raise, the employer could do it because there was no global competition like there is today." e post-World War II rebuilding was a boon for Worcester's economy. Yet, as the world was rebuilt, economies became more globally linked and labor ultimately began being outsourced overseas, where it was cheaper, and many of the iconic manufacturers that had defined Worcester's economy shuttered, said Anastasopoulos. Union membership in Massachusetts, as with the rest of the country, went into decline. From 1983 to 2021, the percent of U.S. workers dropped from 20.1% to 10.3%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Massachusetts, where the percentage of the unionized workforce has been higher than the national average over the past two decades, union membership dropped from a post-millennium high of 16.6% in 2009 to 12.6% in 2021, according to BLS. Worcester 300: City of Innovators As part of the 300th anniversary of Worcester's founding on June 14, 1722, Worcester Business Journal has published a special 108-page edition on the history of the business community, entitled "Worcester 300: City of Innovators". The special publication out May 31 will be sent to all print subscribers through the mail. Anyone who wishes to order copies of the magazine can do so by reaching out to circulation@wbjournal. com. 0 5 10 15 20 25% '83 '00 '21 '90 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 Massachusetts United States Union membership Union membership A small resurgence However, events of the last several years have led to a reemergence of interest and support in forming and joining unions, Anastasopoulos said. e COVID-19 pandemic led to initial mass layoffs across various sectors of the economy, and employers have struggled to build back their workforces amid the Great Resignation, where employees are leaving their jobs more frequently, seeking better compensation and working conditions. e National Labor Relations Board, under the administration of President Joe Biden, is much more favorable to Continued on page 16 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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