Third Way: The Necessary Reconciliation Between Labor Unions and the Democratic Party
Markus Spiske
A month ago, President Biden made history as the first modern president to join a picket line. His support of the strike for United Auto Workers in Michigan is more than just symbolically significant.
Biden’s alignment with unions is important due to the rocky longstanding relationship between the Democratic party and unions. The Democratic Party has historically relied on unions for candidate support, fundraising, and canvassing efforts. However, in recent years, Democratic Presidents have failed to show support for unions on a national level.
This has led the rust belt area, historically rich in unions, to lose the power of unions in elections. As a result, voters in these areas have stopped showing up for elections, turning the Midwest Republican. It is high time for the Democratic Party to reconcile its relationship with unions to improve electoral chances and demonstrate support for key parts of their platform.
Historical Significance
Unions have been a part of this country for over a hundred years, but had not gotten involved in politics, for fear of losing its members. The New Deal, however, changed the Democratic Party and the relationship between unions and political parties.
In 1935, Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act, which gave federal sanction for union contracts and set up the New Labor Relations board to enforce collective bargaining rights in the private sector. This legislation was huge because it demonstrated federal support towards union rights for the first time. In return for this legislation, unions backed New Deal legislation, helped carry Roosevelt to subsequent victories and contributed to 1/10 of campaign dollars.
Furthermore, New Deal legislation created a safety net for the first time in America and became an important part of the Democrat Party platform that persists to this day. Within 10 years, FDR and Democrats in Congress established a minimum wage, created Social Security, created public works projects to put people back to work, and set up a legal structure to support unions. Unions also increased voter participation and tilted these new voters Democrat. Voters in union households still prefer Democrats over Republicans by margins between 9 and 16 points.
In 2000, 94% of union members voted Democrat and in the 2004 election, 15,000 union members knocked on doors in a single day, which was the largest single day election mobilization in labor movement history. Unions have worked hard to support Democratic candidates by not only showing up at the polls but actively campaigning to ensure their concerns were being heard in high offices. Their historic support has shaped the platform of the Democratic party to ensure equality for all.
The Partnership in Decline
Where unions are protected, union members enjoy an array of benefits and participate politically. However, in 1947, Congress passed the Taft Hartley Act which created right to work states. A right-to-work (RTW) law gives workers the freedom to choose whether or not to join a labor union in the workplace. This law also makes it optional for employees in unionized workplaces to pay for union dues or other membership fees required for union representation, whether they are in the union or not.
This hurts the power of unions because there is less responsibility towards union fees and less bargaining power with fewer people in unions. Currently, 28 states have right to work laws; this has severely decreased the political power in unions in recent years. Further, as decades went on, Democratic presidents failed to help protect unions against the encroachment of right to work laws and other legislation designed to weaken the power of unions.
With its financial contributions and grassroots organizing, the labor movement helped give Democrats full control of the federal government three times in the last four decades. And all three of those times — under Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama — Democrats failed to pass labor law reforms that would to bolster the union cause. In hindsight, it’s clear that the Democratic Party didn’t merely betray organized labor with these failures, but also, itself. — Eric Levitz
President Carter angered union leaders in the late 1970s when he pushed for fiscal austerity and didn’t back legislation that would have protected boycotts. President Clinton clashed with unions over issues, including the NAFTA free trade treaty, while President Obama disappointed many when he didn’t push for the Employee Free Choice Act in 2009 and 2010.
As demonstrated here, unions have been weakened over the last decades as a result of right to work laws pushed by Republicans. When given the opportunity to bolster the union cause, the Democratic presidents who owe their victory to unions, have failed to support them, further alienating them as voters.
Unions Persuade Voters
The consequences of weakened unions are more severe than merely letting voters down. Right to work law states have decreased presidential strongholds by 3.5%. The Midwest which famously has been a Democratic stronghold and a strong union place is turning red as factories leave. These Midwest states have decreased voter participation with 2-3% less people showing up. Between 1978 and 2017, union membership fell by half.
As the union’s social role eroded, former unions members began filling their time by joining socially conservative groups like the NRA. Former union members now vote Republican because they seek community building organizations, which now the NRA provides.
Moreover, while union members are often socially conservative, they are fiscally liberal. Unions politically help turn out voters for Democrats by focusing on the economic issues that union members agree on. Since most Americans hold progressive economic views, this canvassing strategy has increased voters for Democrats.
Now, with unions in decline and their political power weakened, those voters focus on social issues and vote Republican. Democrats are losing political power by not supporting union power and not going on the offense to support union platforms.
Unions are not just useful political tools; they embody the core principles of the Democratic Party. Collective bargaining from unions was created to establish a safety net for Americans. This financial security as pushed by unions helps to increase equity in this nation, an important part of the Democrat platform.
While Biden symbolically supported unions by joining the picket, his administration has supported anti-union efforts, aligning with previous modern Democratic presidents. President Biden must work to strengthen union protections. By doing this, he helps to increase their important political power to turn out voters for the Democratic cause, a much-needed ally in 2024. Additionally, supporting unions helps to support the core mission of the Democratic party and works to improve financial security. Unions have worked hard for Democrats; it’s time for Democrats to work hard once again for unions.