ICYMI: "Unionization Petitions Increased Dramatically Under" Biden-Harris Administration

Yesterday, the National Labor Relations Board announced that the number of workers filing for union representation has doubled under the Biden-Harris Administration—the first administration in five decades to have an increase in union petitions. This is just the latest evidence that President Biden and Vice President Harris have kept their promise to be the most pro-union, pro-worker Administration in history.

Read more below:

AFL-CIO: "This is what happens when you have pro-worker, pro-union leaders like President Biden and VP Harris. Workers across the country are coming together with their co-workers and making their voices heard, because they know #ItsBetterInAunion!"

Communications Workers of America (CWA): "Today's National Labor Relations Board release of data on worker union election petitions confirmed that the increase in worker organizing that our union has seen since the start of the Biden-Harris administration is part of a national movement, reversing a decades-long decline. Workers across our country are coming together to exercise their rights at work and organize for a better future. President Biden and Vice President Harris have made it clear that union representation helps build a better future and workers have responded. […] Our union applauds the Biden-Harris administration's pro-worker policies that have empowered workers to stand up for their rights."

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME): "Working people everywhere are waking up to the power of a union!"

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Democrats: "When unions are strong, America is strong. The numbers are in—the Biden-Harris Administration has ushered in a huge wave of union support. Our work isn't done yet. It's time to pass the PRO Act so all workers can get paid fairly, enjoy good benefits, and stay safe at work!"

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich: "Union election petitions are up 27% this fiscal year, according to the NLRB. Petitions have doubled since 2021. We are witnessing a historic rebirth of unions in America, and it's a beautiful thing to behold. Make no mistake: workers are taking their power back."

Economic Policy Institute President Heidi Shierholz: "Today's strong public support for unions has translated into more workers filing for union representation—union election petitions are up 27% over the last fiscal year and have more than doubled since FY 2021."

More Perfect Union: "Petitions for union elections have doubled since 2021, and are up 27% from last year. New union organizing continues to surge in an era where unions are immensely popular."

Associated Press: Petitions for union representation doubled under Biden's presidency, first increase since 1970s
[Josh Boak, 10/15/24]

There has been a doubling of petitions by workers to have union representation during President Joe Biden's administration, according to figures released Tuesday by the National Labor Relations Board.

There were 3,286 petitions filed with the government in fiscal 2024, up from 1,638 in 2021. This marks the first increase in unionization petitions during a presidential term since Gerald Ford's administration, which ended 48 years ago.

During Trump's presidency, union petitions declined 22%.

President Joe Biden said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press that the increase showed that his administration has done more for workers than his predecessor, Donald Trump, the current Republican nominee who is vying to return to the White House in November's election.

"After the previous administration sided with big corporations to undermine workers — from blocking overtime pay protections to making it harder to organize — my Administration has supported workers," Biden said. "Because when unions do well, all workers do well and the entire economy benefits." […]

Reuters: Union election petitions have doubled since Biden took office, NLRB says
[Daniel Wiessner, 10/15/24]

Unions filed twice as many petitions seeking to hold elections over the last year than they did in 2021, the National Labor Relations Board said on Tuesday, due in part to a nationwide surge in organizing in industries that have long been union-free.

The NLRB said it had received 3,286 election petitions in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, a 27% increase from last year and more than double the 1,638 petitions filed in fiscal year 2021, when Democratic President Joe Biden took office.

The board also said it had received about 21,300 complaints alleging illegal labor practices, a 7% increase from 2023 and the highest total since 2016.

Biden, who had previously vowed to be the most pro-union president in U.S. history, said in a statement that his administration was the first in five decades to oversee an increase in union election petitions.

"When unions do well, all workers do well and the entire economy benefits," Biden said. […]

Huffington Post: Union Elections Surge In A Hopeful Sign For Labor
[Dave Jamieson, 10/15/24]

More U.S. workers appear to be turning to unions in hopes of improving their jobs.

On Tuesday, federal officials reported a 29% jump in union election petitions during the most recent fiscal year, rising from 2,593 in 2023 to 3,286 in 2024. The increase is part of a yearslong trend at the National Labor Relations Board, the agency that oversees private sector union elections and enforces collective bargaining rights.

The NLRB said the number of petitions it's received has more than doubled since 2021, when the board was reshaped following President Joe Biden's victory over former President Donald Trump. […]

President Joe Biden said in a statement on the NLRB data that he would continue to push for more funding so the board "can empower workers on the job." He also said his administration was the first in five decades to oversee a rise in union election petitions.

"When I took office, I promised to be the most pro-union, pro-worker president in history," he said. "I have kept that promise." […]

Newsweek: Unionization Petitions Increased Dramatically Under Biden
[Natalie Venegas. 10/15/24]

Petitions for union representation have doubled during President Joe Biden's time in office, marking the first major uptick in unionization efforts since the 1970s, according to the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday.

Data from the National Labor Relations Board show that 3,286 petitions were filed with the government in fiscal 2024, a sharp rise from 1,638 in 2021. This represents a significant shift after decades of stagnation and a decline in petitions during former President Donald Trump's tenure in the White House.

The resurgence in union activity has not been seen at this scale since the administration of Gerald Ford, which ended 48 years ago. Under Trump, petitions decreased by 22 percent, signaling a sharp contrast between the two administrations' approaches to labor issues, a sentiment Biden has noted.

In a statement, Biden framed this surge in unionization petitions as a direct outcome of his administration's pro-worker policies in contrast to Trump, the current Republican nominee who is vying to return to the White House in November's election.

"After the previous administration sided with big corporations to undermine workers—from blocking overtime pay protections to making it harder to organize—my Administration has supported workers," Biden said. "Because when unions do well, all workers do well and the entire economy benefits."

Biden's administration has notably reversed several key policies from Trump's presidency, aiming to make it easier for workers to organize and secure fair labor practices. […]