Trump Administration's Labor Record: A Study in Contrasts

The Republican Party's attempts to reconnect with the working-class voters who have increasingly supported President Donald Trump's presidential bids have been met with skepticism. Despite outreach efforts and some symbolic gestures, the Trump administration's actions on labor issues have cemented its reputation as an anti-union force. From stripping federal workers of their collective bargaining rights to paralyzing the National Labor Relations Board, the administration's policies have damaged the rights and power of American workers.

Key Takeaways:

• The Trump administration has taken aggressive actions against organized labor, including stripping hundreds of thousands of federal workers of their collective bargaining rights and paralyzing the National Labor Relations Board.
• Despite outreach efforts and symbolic gestures, the administration's policies have not translated into meaningful change, with the number of factory jobs falling to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The administration's trade policies, including tariffs, have failed to deliver benefits for American workers, with the number of factory jobs continuing to decline.
• The removal of watchdogs, including the National Labor Relations Board, has weakened labor protections and allowed employers to delay or avoid settling labor disputes.
• Senator Josh Hawley has emerged as a notable exception, partnering with Democrats to co-sponsor labor-friendly legislation and criticizing the administration's trade policy.

Statistics:

• The number of factory jobs in the US has fallen to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Over 400,000 federal employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs and Environmental Protection Agency saw their union contracts terminated and their collective bargaining rights dissolved in August.
• The administration's executive order stripping federal workers of their collective bargaining rights affected hundreds of thousands of employees.
• The number of unionized workers in the US has declined in recent years, with the percentage of votes in households where at least one person belongs to a union falling to its lowest level in decades.
• The administration has nominated two management-friendly replacements for vacant positions on the National Labor Relations Board, which has been unable to hear labor disputes.

Sources:

• The Conversation -- USA -- By Jake Rosenfeld, Professor of Sociology, Washington University in St. Louis
• USA Today
• The Washington Post
• The New York Times
• Georgetown University labor historian Joseph McCartin
• University of Chicago law professor Eric Posner
• American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley