There's a surge of high-profile unionizing and union activity going on in the U.S. workforce, from media to food and retail industries.
So, what's behind all this unusual, sudden union activity, and is this really a sign of lasting change? "In the 1970s, employers begin to have to make a profit within a globalized capitalism," Windham said."They are now competing with corporations all over the globe, and so where are they going to be able to make a profit margin?"
To be clear, a strike is technically illegal for air traffic controllers in the U.S. without going through the proper steps, and the process to authorize a strike is purposefully complicated to keep airlines from shutting down. But, it wasn't until this moment that those rules were enforced on such a massive scale. Reagan ended up firing and banning more than 11,000 workers who refused to cross picket lines.
That's especially true for industries dependent on so-called"essential workers," like retail or food and restaurants.