Ruth Milkman traces the decline of American unions since the 1980s, explains the strategies of employers, and explores the “power resource” theory of what really gives workers leverage—or leaves them powerless. She highlights how a generation radicalized by the 2008 crisis and pandemic is driving new efforts to organize—but also why, without large-scale movements or changes in the law, these efforts alone can’t reverse decades of decline.
Milkman discusses Amazon’s delays, Starbucks’ stalling, the power of symbolic actions, and why a tight labor market has opened a window for organizing—but maybe not for lasting change.
Power Resource Theory and the 21st Century Us Labor Movement (PDF)
