Catherwood LibraryILR School

Labor union supporters have noted that President Biden's pro-union stance, evident two years ago when he visited the president of the AFL-CIO early on during his presidential run, has not weakened during his initial months in office, as seen by the establishment of a task force that will examine worker empowerment, as well as how government can aid in supporting union organizing. Labor analysts say that the current White House may be the strongest pro-union administration since President Truman 70 years ago, but they also acknowledge the considerable hurdles. While labor unions are looked upon more favorably than they were 20 years ago, union workers are a small segment of the workforce now, with 1 in 10 employees being unionized and only 1 in 20 being private sector. A unionization attempt for Amazon workers in Alabama failed earlier this year; the AFL-CIO's desire to rewrite federal labor law is stalled in the 50-50 Senate; and trying to raise the federal minimum wage was defeated in the Senate earlier this year. Biden is hopeful that a resurgence in unions will solve various domestic policy issues, including the strengthening of the middle class and improving stagnant wages. The administration hopes to jump-start infrastructure improvements by using green energy, and is hoping that a stronger unionized workforce, supported by union-friendly policies, will develop a green energy economy that provides jobs and benefits similar to older unionized industries.