THE STATE OF THE LABOR FORCE

By Don Shilling

Labor leaders say a rebound in the economy would help union and nonunion workers.

Organized labor is down but not out as it marks Labor Day 2009 — a year that’s brought on a recession, increased foreign competition and hostility in Congress, area union officials say.

“We’ve taken a beating, not just unions but the entire labor force,” said Larry Fauver, vice president of the Mahoning-Trumbull AFL-CIO.

Jim Graham, president of United Auto Workers Local 1112 in Lordstown, said the beating is no accident.

“There’s been a concerted effort to decimate labor organizations in this country and the middle class in general,” he said.

He pointed to members of Congress who “demonized” General Motors and Chrysler in hearings when the automakers asked for federal loans. Meanwhile, $700 billion was quickly approved for the troubled financial services industry, he noted.

“We get treated like punks,” he added.

The large industrial plants in the Mahoning Valley and their unions have had a tough time recently. Unions at General Motors and Delphi Packard Electric agreed to major concessions, while the Severstal steel mill in Warren has been idled all year.

Bob Sutton, a staff representative for the International Union of Electrical Workers, said he’s been negotiating contract extensions at smaller companies that have been struggling during the recession.

He hopes the local unions can avoid concessions now and put off negotiations on new contracts until companies are healthier.

The labor leaders said a rebound in the economy will help union workers and nonunion workers alike.

Fauver pointed to the GM Lordstown complex as an example. It is bringing back a second shift of workers to build more Chevrolet Cobalts and prepare for the Chevrolet Cruze. As work increases at Lordstown, grocery stores and other businesses in the Mahoning Valley will have more business as the auto workers spend more money, Fauver said.

Federal statistics indicate union membership is rebounding from a long decline.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said in January that union membership rose by 428,000 last year to 16.1 million. Union membership also grew by 311,000 in 2007.

In 2008, 12.4 percent of all workers belonged to unions, up from 12.1 percent a year earlier. Most of the growth was among government workers.

The percentage of workers in unions has dropped from 20.1 percent in 1983. The nation had 17.7 million union workers that year.

Organized labor has been pushing for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act as a way to increase membership. It was introduced in Congress this year. The measure has been opposed by employer groups.

It would allow for creation of a union without an election. A union could be declared if a majority of workers sign cards supporting one.

Graham said more action will be needed from Washington, however.

He said the nation has allowed too many manufacturing jobs to be sent overseas. Other nations are producing goods at lower costs because they don’t have the same regulations regarding child labor, safety and the environment, he said.

The U.S. should be placing tariffs on goods from countries that don’t have stringent regulations, he said.

As it stands now, American companies find it hard to cut costs low enough to meet those of foreign competitors, he said.

“A political solution is the only solution. I don’t care how many concessions that unions make, it’s not enough,” he said.

Fauver added, however, that there is something else that would help — buying American.

If consumers were willing to pay a bit more for products made in this country, more jobs would be created, he said.

“The American people need to stop and realize how detrimental it is for jobs to leave the country,” he said.

shilling@vindy.com

Industries with highest percentage of workers in unions in 2008:

Education, training, library: 39 percent

Police and fire: 35 percent

Construction and extraction: 20 percent

Transportation and material handling: 18 percent

Installation and repair: 17 percent

Social service: 16 percent

Production: 15 percent

Health care practitioner: 14 percent

Building and grounds: 12 percent

Office and administrative support: 10 percent

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics