The Role of Federalism and the Centrality of State Governments for Labor Unions, Employment, and Organizing

Abstract

American states differ in their protection of workers, acceptance of organized labor, dominant industrial cultures, and regarding labor unions' capacity and political power. In this article, I examine declining union membership in the states and analyze various laws that limit the political power of unions and assess the consequences of these developments. I also document and explain a recent resurgence of labor organizing, political resistance, and work stoppages. There is a seeming contradiction between a labor movement that is both declining as well as gaining strength. However, a common theme in each of these trends is the centrality of state governments and politics regarding labor policy and union influence.