On June 27, 2018, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Janus v. AFSCME that public-sector unions cannot collect “fair share” fees from non-members to cover the costs of collective bargaining, overturning the Court’s 1977 precedent in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education. The decision, …
Justice Samuel AlitoJustice Neil GorsuchNational Right to Work FoundationState Policy NetworkBradley Foundation+3 moreeducationlaborsupreme-courtteachers-unionsright-to-work+2 more
The Obama administration’s Council of Economic Advisers publishes landmark research ‘Labor Market Monopsony: Trends, Consequences, and Policy Responses’ documenting how employer market power (monopsony) and product market concentration (monopoly) systematically suppress American …
Council of Economic AdvisersWorkersDominant firmsmonopsonymonopolywage-suppressionmarket-powerwealth-extraction+1 more
Senator Arlen Specter announces on March 24, 2009, that he will not support the Employee Free Choice Act, effectively killing labor’s top legislative priority despite Democratic control of the presidency and both houses of Congress. EFCA would have allowed workers to form unions through …
Barack ObamaU.S. Chamber of CommerceBusiness RoundtableAFL-CIOU.S. Senate+1 morelaborlabor-law-reformcorporate-lobbyingcard-checkfilibuster+1 more
President George W. Bush obtains a federal court injunction under the Taft-Hartley Act on October 8, 2002, ordering West Coast dockworkers back to work after an employer lockout shuts 29 ports handling $300 billion in annual trade. The Pacific Maritime Association, representing shipping and terminal …
George W. BushPacific Maritime AssociationInternational Longshore and Warehouse UnionU.S. District Courtlabortaft-hartleydockworkerslockoutpresidential-power+1 more
President Bill Clinton signs the U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000, granting China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status and ending the annual congressional review process that had existed since 1980 under Jackson-Vanik provisions. The House passed the legislation on May 24, 2000 and the …
Bill ClintonU.S. SenateU.S. House of RepresentativesChinese governmentCorporate Lobbies+1 morechinatrade-policywtopntrglobalization+3 more
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters ends a 15-day strike against United Parcel Service on August 19, 1997, winning a contract that creates 10,000 new full-time jobs from part-time positions, increases wages for part-time workers by 36 percent over five years, and maintains the union pension …
United Parcel ServiceInternational Brotherhood of TeamstersRon CareyAFL-CIOlaborstriketeamsterspart-time-workerslabor-victory+1 more
Six unions representing 2,500 workers at the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News begin a strike on July 13, 1995, after the newspapers’ corporate owners—Gannett and Knight Ridder—demand sweeping concessions including elimination of union jurisdiction over hiring. The papers continue publishing …
Detroit Free PressDetroit NewsGannett CompanyKnight RidderDetroit Newspaper Guild+1 morelaborstrikejournalismpermanent-replacementmedia-industry
The United Automobile Workers ends its five-month strike against Caterpillar on April 14, 1992, after the company announces it will begin permanently replacing the 12,600 striking workers. The UAW—the union that pioneered industrial unionism with the Flint sit-down strike—capitulates without a …
Caterpillar Inc.United Automobile WorkersDonald Fiteslaborstrikepermanent-replacementpattern-bargainingmanufacturing+1 more
The International Association of Machinists begins a strike against Eastern Airlines on March 4, 1989, joined by pilots and flight attendants in solidarity action that effectively grounds the carrier. The strike targets Frank Lorenzo, whose Texas Air Corporation acquired Eastern in 1986 and …
Eastern AirlinesFrank LorenzoInternational Association of MachinistsAir Line Pilots AssociationTexas Air Corporationlaborstrikeairline-industrycorporate-raiderunion-destruction+1 more
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act becomes law on August 4, 1988, requiring employers with 100 or more workers to provide 60 days advance notice before plant closings or mass layoffs. Congress passes the bill over President Reagan’s veto threats, responding to the …
U.S. CongressRonald ReaganU.S. Chamber of CommerceAFL-CIOlaborplant-closingsdeindustrializationcorporate-loopholesworker-protection
The Supreme Court rules 5-3 in Communications Workers of America v. Beck that workers covered by union contracts can refuse to pay the portion of dues used for political activities, limiting their payments to collective bargaining costs only. The ruling, based on Taft-Hartley’s Section …
U.S. Supreme CourtCommunications Workers of AmericaHarry BeckNational Right to Work Legal Defense Foundationlaborsupreme-courtunion-duesright-to-workunion-busting+1 more
The Amalgamated Transit Union ends its 47-day strike against Greyhound Lines on November 2, 1983, after the company successfully operates with permanent replacement workers, demonstrating that Reagan’s PATCO strategy translates to the private sector. Greyhound CEO Fred Currey demanded 9.5 …
Greyhound LinesAmalgamated Transit UnionFred Curreylaborstrikepermanent-replacementunion-bustingtransportation+1 more
President Ronald Reagan fires 11,345 striking air traffic controllers who refused to return to work, permanently banning them from federal service. When 13,000 PATCO members went on strike August 3 seeking better pay, improved working conditions, and a reduced workweek, Reagan declared the strike a …
Ronald ReaganProfessional Air Traffic Controllers OrganizationPATCOFederal Aviation Administrationlaborunionspatcoreaganstrike-breaking+1 more
Jack Welch becomes CEO of General Electric at age 45 and delivers his landmark speech ‘Growing fast in a slow-growth economy’ in New York City, marking what is widely acknowledged as the ‘dawn of the shareholder value movement.’ Welch operationalizes Milton Friedman’s …
Jack WelchGeneral Electriccorporate-powerwealth-extractionlaborshareholder-primacymass-layoffs
After six cloture attempts fail to break a Senate filibuster, the Labor Law Reform Act of 1978 dies on June 22, marking the most significant corporate lobbying victory since Taft-Hartley and demonstrating that even with Democratic supermajorities and a Democratic president, business interests can …
Business RoundtableU.S. Chamber of CommerceNational Association of ManufacturersAFL-CIOU.S. Senate+1 morelaborlabor-lawfilibustercorporate-lobbyingbusiness-roundtable+1 more
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the NLRB’s finding that J.P. Stevens & Company engaged in the “most flagrant and extensive violations” of labor law in the board’s history, confirming over 100 unfair labor practice findings against the textile giant. Stevens …
J.P. Stevens & CompanyAmalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers UnionNational Labor Relations BoardCorporate Campaign Inc.laborunion-bustingnlrbtextile-industrycorporate-power+1 more
The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merge on December 5, 1955, creating the AFL-CIO with 16 million members representing one-third of American workers. George Meany, the conservative plumber who led the AFL, becomes president, while the more progressive …
George MeanyWalter ReutherAmerican Federation of LaborCongress of Industrial OrganizationsAFL-CIOlaborunionslabor-consolidationlabor-politicscold-war