Union growth: a silver lining of tough times?
Feb 28th 2026
Union drives have picked up since the pandemic as workers push back on pay, safety and scheduling, creating pockets of growth even as overall membership stays well below historic highs.
- Organizing activity has risen since 2020, with high-profile drives at companies such as Amazon and Starbucks signaling renewed interest in unions.
- Overall union density remains much lower than mid-20th century peaks despite recent wins in several sectors.
- Workers point to pay stagnation, safety concerns, unpredictable scheduling and high inflation as the main reasons they are organizing.
- Research shows unions tend to secure higher wages and better benefits for members compared with nonunion peers.
- Organizing faces major headwinds from employer resistance, slow legal processes and state-level right-to-work rules.
- Whether recent gains become lasting depends on labor law changes, union strategy and broader economic conditions.