Union support is still surging in local workplaces
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Employees at the Dispatch newspaper have launched a unionization effort, the latest in another local wave from a wide variety of industries.
Why it matters: Americans' support of labor unions has surged over the last decade, signaling a shift in workers' expectations and putting more pressure on employers to deliver better pay, benefits and working conditions.
Yes, but: Despite growing support, unionization rates continue to decline nationally and in Ohio, partially due to a shifting jobs landscape.
- Decades of attacks at the federal and state level have also made it harder for workers to form and maintain unions, the left-leaning think tank Economic Policy Institute says.
How it works: After a majority of workers privately agree to unionize, they can ask their employer for voluntary recognition to begin bargaining — the current stage of the Dispatch's now-public process.
- If the employer refuses, the National Labor Relations Board can step in and conduct a secret-ballot election among employees.
- Then, if a majority votes for a union, the employer must "bargain in good faith" for a contract.
Where other local efforts stand:
🍨 Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams local employees will vote in a National Labor Relations Board election starting next week.
☕ Starbucks unions locally and nationwide, dating to 2021, still don't have contracts, leading to ongoing protests.
📚 Columbus Metropolitan Library announced a unionization effort in November.
- Grandview, Worthington, Pickerington libraries recently unionized and have contracts, while Upper Arlington and Delaware County are still working on theirs.
🏥 Nationwide Children's Hospital nurses started a push in September.
🗞️ Signal Ohio, a nonprofit newsroom with some reporters based here, earned voluntary recognition that same month.
🍎 KIPP Columbus charter school and Columbus College of Art and Design unionized in 2023, but neither has a contract yet, Ohio Federation of Teachers spokesperson Neil Bhaerman tells Axios.
The other side: While there's momentum, local unions have also had setbacks like Senate Bill 1, a law that went into effect this year prohibiting university faculty strikes.
- KIPP Columbus workers faced union-busting tactics, including threats of frozen pay.
What's next: It takes time to organize, win union elections and bargain for contracts, so it could be a while before activity from the last few years is reflected in data and workplace changes.