could once guarantee. Last year, among men aged forty to forty-five,.
only 39.1% had worked ten or more years at their current job,.
compared with 51.1% in 1983 (Galenson 27).
So, once again one might ask, what caused this to happen? At.
some point in the 1980s, the balance of power shifted against labor.
unions. Some say the defining moment was in 1981, when then-U.S.
president Ronald Reagan forced an end to the bitter air traffic.
controllers' strike. While others point to the 1985 victory of.
then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher over striking coal miners.
(Gross 239). Whatever the reason, unions are attempting to make a.
comeback. There are several strategies that unions have devised to.
return to their former glory. As one tactic unions have adopted a more.
lenient attitude towards management, reducing the number of strikes.
to record lows in the 1980s and early 90s, and attempting to negotiate.
contracts providing job security for members (Gross 278). Unions have.
also placed greater emphasis on organizing drives for new members.
Although unions have been very successful in organizing government.
employees, they have been less successful with recruiting office.
workers in the rapidly expanding services sector. However, during the.
last two decades, the wage advantage for unionized workers with.
private jobs has fallen by 44.1%, although the public sector has.
increased by 9.5% (Maguire 20). Currently, 41.9% of union members.
are from the public sector. Among the most strongly unionized.
occupations are firefighters (71.6%), flight attendants (69.4%), and.
high school teachers (56.1%). Only 28.6% of coal miners belong to.
unions and only 19.5% of truck drivers (Hacker 47). .
Although many feel unions hold too many negatives, one example.
of the positives include salaries secured through collective bargaining.
by highly trained professionals: such as pilots with fifteen years of.
service at Northwest, American, United, and US Airways now earn on.
