The Blubber

Nearly a million Americans got double-digit raises as a result of unions this year, per CNN.

Read full story: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/21/business/big-paydays-union-members/index.html

The frequency of substantial wage increases is on the rise, with over 700,000 workers securing pay raises in the last six months.

Notably, almost 300,000 of these workers finalized agreements within the last six weeks. Described as one of the most favorable periods for labor wage increases since post-World War II, the trend is evident in deals following high-profile strikes, including the United Auto Workers union strike and the Kaiser Permanente health care workers' strike. Although not included in the count of workers with double-digit pay raises, strikes by the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA led to significant pay increases and job protections.

The airline industry is also witnessing increased demands, with flight attendants at American Airlines rejecting an 11% pay increase offer and demanding a 35% hike. Similar negotiations are ongoing with pilots at FedEx. Workers in other sectors, such as Detroit casinos, are leveraging their increased bargaining power to secure significant pay hikes, with some unions facing internal opposition even after contract ratification.

The recent UAW contracts, providing immediate 11% pay hikes and additional increases over the contract's duration, faced opposition from a notable percentage of members, indicating a growing sense of worker empowerment.