CINCINNATI — DHL Teamsters at the CVG Global Hub are the latest group to strike in the Tri-State.
WCPO 9 has been reporting on a growing number of workers taking to the picket lines in recent months. From the United Auto Workers at the General Motors Parts Distribution Facility in West Chester to the Lakota School Bus Drivers to local SAG-AFTRA members.
Analysis of data from Cornell University's Labor Action tracker reveals there were 22 labor actions in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio this year. That’s compared to 16 at this point last year.
“The workers who make the record profits possible for these companies are not being cut in on the share,” said Mark Niehaus, director of communications for the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers back in October. At the time, he was picketing in support of UAW workers in West Chester.
The demands from many labor groups who have gone on strike this year have been similar: Mainly, higher pay to account for corporate profits and higher cost of living.
University of Cincinnati Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Nick Williams said the increase in recent union activity may be attributed to the enduring strength of the labor market.
The economy’s low unemployment rate means unions can leverage the high demand for workers, he said.
“Unions have given a lot back over the last 20 years,” Williams said. “Now they’re trying to get some of what they gave back.”
However, the professor stressed union membership is still a relatively small fraction of the overall U.S. workforce.
Union membership nationally was 10.1% in 2022, which is a record low, according to the Department of Labor Statistics. The number has been declining since the 1950s.
Whether recent union movement will translate to “the non-union firms throughout the country is unclear,” Williams said.
What is also unclear, Williams said, is the strength of the economy going forward and how any changes might impact future contracts.
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