Tuesday was election day in the United States, as millions of Americans across the country cast ballots to select their next mayors, city councilors, school board members, congressional representatives, or governors.

Republican Glenn Youngkin will be the next governor of Virginia, winning barely over fifty percent of the vote in a tight election against Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Although the latter secured the endorsement of some major unions, he was ambivalent on labor issues. Youngkin, on the other hand, described himself as a “pro-business candidate” and has expressed opposition to raising the state’s minimum wage and vowed to protect its “right-to-work” law. Although the gubernatorial contest in New Jersey remains too close to call, it appears that incumbent Phil Murphy (D) will prevail in an unexpectedly close contest. Murphy, endorsed by several major unions, has been identified by the AFL-CIO as “one of the most pro-union governors in the country.” Indeed, in his first term, Governor Murphy increased the state’s minimum wage and signed bills combatting worker misclassification, providing paid sick time, and enhancing penalties for wage theft, among other worker-friendly initiatives.

In Massachusetts, city council member Michelle Wu (D) was elected mayor of Boston. Wu, a political protégée of Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), was endorsed by several prominent labor unions. She campaigned on a vision of progressive reform, propounding such proposals as eliminating fares for the city’s public transit, implementing a “Boston Green New Deal,” imposing rent control, and promoting economic justice and worker empowerment. Progressive mayors, endorsed by major unions, were also elected in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

In New York City, Brooklyn Borough President and former police captain Eric Adams (D) convincingly won the mayoral contest. Adams, who defeated several self-identified “progressives” in the Democratic primary, secured the endorsement and support of some — though not all — of the City’s largest unions. While he offered certain promises to labor and referred to himself as “a straight-up union guy,” Adams on the campaign trail generally positioned himself as a pro-corporate candidate, pledging to make NYC a more “business-friendly city.”  

A national survey published Monday by More Perfect Union (MPU) reveals that a strong majority of Americans have a favorable view of labor unions. Although a majority of every income level indicated support for unions, the strongest backing came from low-income workers. In the words of MPU, “the same voters that Democrats have been struggling to win over and energize in recent elections … are among the strongest supporters of unions.” “[I]f Democrats want to protect and expand their majorities in 2022,” MPU concludes, “having prominent elected officials … speak out in support of workers fighting for better wages and dignity in the workplace could be a good place to start.” Abolishing the filibuster and enacting the PRO Act might also be a good idea.

As Fred mentioned earlier this week, John Deere employees, who have been on strike for more than two weeks, voted yesterday on whether to ratify the second tentative deal between the firm and their union, UAW. Displaying the post-pandemic confidence of the U.S. workforce, strikers rejected the agreement, which, as Fred explained, would have supplied raises and bonuses. “The strike against John Deere and company will continue as we discuss next steps with the company,” UAW announced in a statement.

As the coronavirus cases plunge and the country’s vaccination rate continues to tick upward, the labor market appears to be exhibiting signs of a hiring surge, following months in which companies reportedly struggled to find and retain new employees. Nonetheless, seeking to fill these gaps in the workforce, some GOP-controlled state legislatures have attempted to dismantle existing child labor laws, which the Guardian described in an article yesterday. Republican lawmakers in Ohio, for example, introduced a bill last month that would extend the permissible working hours for children. Similarly, the GOP legislature in Wisconsin recently approved legislation permitting children to work late into the night.

In an open letter sent to Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) yesterday, major unions in the Big Apple expressed support for taxi drivers’ ongoing hunger strike, which Nikita recently described on this blog. “These workers have put in decades of work behind the wheel and many rightly expected to begin a dignified retirement today,” the letter states. Instead, it continues, “some of these workers have been on a hunger strike for over a week, sleeping in their taxis just outside of City Hall.” The hunger strike is aimed at urging de Blasio to liberate the cabbies from the predatory loans into which many of them were channeled by financial institutions. The mayor announced in March that the City would direct $65 million of federal stimulus funds to help the drivers restructure their loans — a plan that would alleviate but not eradicate the cabbies’ debts.

Finally, while “#Striketober” ended last week, “#Strikesgiving” may just be starting. More than 1,000 SEIU members at a hospital system in West Virginia announced Tuesday night that they will initiate a strike today at noon. After months of negotiations, the unit rejected the hospital’s “last, best, final offer” last night, allowing the contract to expire at midnight. Union leaders claim that the hospital is making record profits but continues “prioritizing profits over care.” The union’s most recent strike against the hospital was more than twenty years ago.