On Labor Day, we celebrate the profound social and economic contributions of the country’s workers. But this holiday also reminds us of a legacy of workers’ struggles that must not be forgotten.
Health system leaders have a unique opportunity to seize the moment and make worker well-being a core organizational value. To do this, they must embrace strategies that foster open communication and empower workers.
West Bank’s 130-Year History
As one of Iowa’s oldest existing businesses, West Bank has seen its share of change over the past 130 years. It’s survived recessions and depressions, 23 U.S. presidents, and the changing landscape of the economy and technology. But it’s been the company’s deep investments in people that have anchored its stability and allowed it to thrive regardless of what happens.
The company has been at the forefront of supporting the needs of working families throughout the Midwest, and in 2024, it will celebrate its 130th anniversary in a way that highlights the role its employees play in building strong communities. During the past decade, it has invested more than $1.4 billion in the communities where its employees live and work.
In the West Bank, Israeli infrastructure projects like the ‘Samaria road’ allow Israel to move its settlers across the Palestinian territory separately from Palestinians. Khalil Tafakji, an expert on Israeli settlements, says this allows the Jewish state to lay the groundwork for annexation.
Following the Oslo Accords, which facilitated the segregation of the West Bank into cantons of varying degrees of Palestinian control, the Palestinian Authority now controls less than a fifth of the territory. The remainder is largely under Israeli occupation (or, in some cases, combined Palestinian local governance with Israeli control). Settlement expansion has continued unabated since the accords, and the issue of Jerusalem continues to fester as Israel maintains its refusal to recognize or negotiate over the Temple Mount, which is home to Islam’s holiest site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Legacy of Cesar Chavez
After an introduction by Rio Salado Administrative Services Program Manager Reina Ferrufino, Karol Schmidt presented a detailed and informative talk about the life and work of Cesar Chavez. The presentation included archival footage and interviews with people who knew him well or worked closely with him.
Chavez was a civil rights, Latino, and farm labor leader; a religious and spiritual figure; a social entrepreneur; a champion for militant nonviolent social change and education; and a crusader for environmental and consumer rights. He forged a national coalition of students, middle-class consumers, trade unionists, farmers, and minorities and was an inspiration to millions.
The seed for his activism sprouted in the dusty California community of Delano and grew into a national movement. In 1974, Chavez led a 110-mile march that resulted in the E & J Gallo winery signing the first collective bargaining agreement for farm workers and changed working conditions in ways that have had a lasting impact.
Throughout his career, Chavez was a tireless worker, organizer, and advocate who inspired many to stand up for what they believed in. He was also a man of great humility who, one-on-one, was far more soft-spoken and humble than the fiery activist he is renowned for being in the media. In fact, the son of Chavez, Paul, visited the West Bank campus on Monday to pay respect to his father and administer the Oath of Allegiance to a new group of workers.
The Future of the Labor Movement
It is hard to say if the current moment will be a period of reversal or renewal for the labor movement. Certainly, there is a sense of urgency to the labor movement right now as it faces challenges.
Unions are struggling to maintain their relevance in a world where the economic and political environment is hostile. The growth of private-sector “right-to-work” laws and the rise of precarious work threaten their traditional base of membership and power. Corporations are moving jobs to countries with lower wages and fewer regulations, and their focus on short-term shareholder value undermines the long-term health of their companies and workers.
There are signs that the labor movement is adapting to these challenges. A number of unions have re-branded and refocused their efforts. Many of them are experimenting with new models, including digital organizing and partnerships across industries and geographies. And a number of unions have started to rethink their role in the political arena, seeking to build alliances with Democrats and other progressive groups to address economic issues that go beyond the bargaining table.
And, despite the political climate, American public opinion remains fairly positive toward unions. As my colleague Megan Brenan explained in her analysis last September, 90% of Democrats approve of unions, while only 57% of Republicans do so. That gap is consistent with long-term trends, going back to the first time Gallup asked this question in 1936.
The Value of Unions
Unions benefit the broader economy in a wide variety of ways. They increase productivity by aligning worker interests with those of businesses, which reduces turnover and makes work more pleasant. They increase the share of national income that workers receive by lowering inequality. And they create good jobs, reducing poverty and driving economic growth.
They led the fight for a better quality of life for workers, bringing us things we take for granted today like weekends, safety provisions, and equal pay for equal work. They help to end bullying and harassment at work, push for fair-trade agreements that lift standards worldwide, and promote policies that make our families and communities stronger, such as expanded family and medical leave, affordable health insurance, and pension benefits.
The political influence of unions also gives their members a stronger voice in politics, increasing the likelihood that they vote and contribute to the causes they believe in. Studies show that a 1 percentage point increase in union density results in between 3.1 million and 4 million more votes being cast in a given election. This is why it is so important to continue strengthening our country’s unions. But there are some things that need to be addressed to ensure that unions remain a key tool in our democratic process. These include making it easier for people to join them and ensuring that their representation is objective.