Posted on Sep 3, 2022
Dollar store workers in the South have a labor movement. Just don't call it a union
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https://www.npr.org/2022/09/03/ [login to see] /dollar-stores-labor-unions-workers-wages-organizing
Before David Williams approaches his fellow Dollar General workers in New Orleans to talk about organizing, he knows the first thing they'll ask: Are you a union?
He answers with a flat no.
"Once the word union is...out of the way, that's when we all get together and come up with a plan and figure out how... to fight this," Williams said.
Dollar stores have expanded across the country and complaints about work conditions and safety have grown with them. Over the past year, workers have been organizing, protesting and striking for better workplaces — fired up by a labor movement that's led to big union victories at places like Starbucks and Amazon.
But Dollar General workers in Louisiana hope to make change without unionizing. Unions require winning elections and negotiations, which can drag on for years. The word can also be a non-starter when recruiting support, especially in places like the South — a region that's historically skeptical of unions.
Labor experts say this approach is actually healthy for the labor movement — better to have different groups with separate tactics pushing for workers' rights than relying just on collective bargaining
Before David Williams approaches his fellow Dollar General workers in New Orleans to talk about organizing, he knows the first thing they'll ask: Are you a union?
He answers with a flat no.
"Once the word union is...out of the way, that's when we all get together and come up with a plan and figure out how... to fight this," Williams said.
Dollar stores have expanded across the country and complaints about work conditions and safety have grown with them. Over the past year, workers have been organizing, protesting and striking for better workplaces — fired up by a labor movement that's led to big union victories at places like Starbucks and Amazon.
But Dollar General workers in Louisiana hope to make change without unionizing. Unions require winning elections and negotiations, which can drag on for years. The word can also be a non-starter when recruiting support, especially in places like the South — a region that's historically skeptical of unions.
Labor experts say this approach is actually healthy for the labor movement — better to have different groups with separate tactics pushing for workers' rights than relying just on collective bargaining
Dollar store workers in the South have a labor movement. Just don't call it a union
Posted from npr.org
New Orleans
Starbucks
Amazon
Rights
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 1
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Unions do have one big advantage over other labor groups — collective bargaining. Once unions agree to unionize, employers are required by law to negotiate with the union in good faith. However, getting to that point means winning an election, which can take years.
As long as there has been a labor movement, there have been plenty of groups pushing for workers' rights without relying on unionizing.
Some labor experts believe the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, which put legal protections around collective bargaining, led to the labor movement relying too much on unionizing.
"The labor movement is becoming more eclectic again," Cedric de Leon, a professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Labor Center, said.
Alternative labor groups can rely on other tactics, including petitions, pressuring politicians and protesting — like the demonstration outside Dollar General shareholder meeting."...
..."Unions do have one big advantage over other labor groups — collective bargaining. Once unions agree to unionize, employers are required by law to negotiate with the union in good faith. However, getting to that point means winning an election, which can take years.
As long as there has been a labor movement, there have been plenty of groups pushing for workers' rights without relying on unionizing.
Some labor experts believe the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, which put legal protections around collective bargaining, led to the labor movement relying too much on unionizing.
"The labor movement is becoming more eclectic again," Cedric de Leon, a professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Labor Center, said.
Alternative labor groups can rely on other tactics, including petitions, pressuring politicians and protesting — like the demonstration outside Dollar General shareholder meeting."...
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