, Columnist
Amazon Aside, Workers Are Struggling to Regain Power
The balance between employees and employers remains heavily tilted toward the latter.
Triumphant, but not yet empowered.
Photographer: Jeenah Moon/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Workers in the U.S. have made significant gains during the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Wages are rising, employers are offering more perks, pundits are proclaiming the office obsolete and unions are resurgent. Earlier this month, Amazon employees at a Staten Island warehouse achieved a breakthrough unionization, following on the heels of the first unionization of a Starbucks and last fall’s “striketober” actions at John Deere, Kellogg and elsewhere.
So is a new era of worker power emerging? I’m doubtful. By any meaningful measure, employers are still in charge.