#young workers

Gallup’s latest read shows a U.S. workforce under real strain: more workers now “struggling” than “thriving” for the first time on record, engagement at a decade low, and job‑market confidence collapsing from 70% in 2022 to just 28%. A restless labor force, but one largely stuck — a macro signal that worker sentiment is deteriorating faster than headline employment data suggests.

https://x.com/mohossain/status/2037193619489059219?s=46

Saba, R. (2022, February 12). After years of decline, the percentage of unionized workers is increasing again — and the pandemic is likely the reason. The Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/02/12/after-years-of-decline-the-percentage-of-unionized-workers-is-increasing-again-and-the-pandemic-is-likely-the-reason.html ; UTL Link: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2627929822/1852F613C22F48EBPQ/24?accountid=14771

Rosa Saba writes: "In Canada, overall union coverage has been in slow but steady decline, from 32.3 per cent in 2000 to 30.2 per cent in 2019. But almost two years later, it’s trending upwards, at 30.9 per cent in 2021. While Canadian union representatives said they have seen increased interest from front-line and precarious workers in establishing collective agreements during the pandemic, especially among those who can’t work from home, industry leaders say it’s too soon to tell whether this is the beginning of a lasting wave of unionization among Canadian workers, despite the current headlines the movement is capturing."

"The public sector accounts for the bulk of unionized jobs in Canada, and its unionization rate, or the percentage of workers covered by a collective agreement, has gone up during the pandemic, while in the private sector, overall unionization rates have decreased despite these high-profile union drives. In 2020, the union coverage rate across all sectors was significantly higher compared to 2019, not due to more unionization but to the loss of non-unionized jobs, Stanford said. The unionization rate in the retail sector was 12.5 per cent in 2021 compared to 12.3 in 2019. Employment in this sector was actually slightly higher than or equal to 2019 levels in 2021, meaning the higher unionization rate can’t be attributed to fewer jobs."

Additional Information

PetSmart Workers United. Twitter. https://twitter.com/PetsmartUnion

Carneiro, B. & Costa, H.A. (2020). Digital unionism as a renewal strategy? Social media use by trade union confederations. Journal of Industrial Relations 64(1), 26-61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022185620979337 Open Access

Young Workers Give Unions New Hope

Durbin, D. (2022, February 14). Young workers give unions new hope. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-171eb1523254b631d84caa68dfebd7ec

Dee-Ann Durbin writes: "Workers in their 20s __ and even in their teens __ are leading ongoing efforts to unionize companies large and small, from Starbucks and REI to local cannabis dispensaries. The Alphabet Workers Union, formed last year and now representing 800 Google employees, is run by five people who are under 35. Multiple polls show union approval is high __ and growing __ among the youngest workers. And U.S. union membership levels are even ticking upward for workers between 25 and 34, even as they decline among other age groups."

"Between 2019 and 2021, the overall percentage of U.S. union members stayed flat. But the percentage of workers ages 25-34 who are union members rose from 8.8% to 9.4%, or around 68,000 workers, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics...Brown said there are signs those numbers will continue to rise this year under the labor-friendly Biden administration, which issued proposals this month aimed at increasing unionization rates for federal workers and contractors. In January, there were 170 petitions filed for union elections with the National Labor Relations Board; that was more than double the 83 filed in January 2021."

Additional Information

VanHeuvelen, T. & Brady, D. (2021). Labor Unions and American Poverty. ILR Review. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00197939211014855 ; UTL Link: https://doi-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1177%2F00197939211014855

Not long ago, I got a message from a lady in her mid-twenties who expressed her dread of aging. She felt it's out of control and was preventing her from developing into the woman she was intended to be. She does not dismiss older ladies; in fact, she begins her letter, "I have met several beautifully elderly women and think they are lovely."

She then went on to outline some of her fears, including weight increase and the loss of identity, young looks, beauty, independence, style, and personality (particularly when it comes to becoming a mother). There are those unknown anxieties, which she puts up as "loss of God knows what." Unfortunately, this young woman's suspicions are not baseless. Many civilizations in our world are youth-oriented.

We are constantly assaulted with commercials encouraging us to seem younger, smaller, and more trendy. Our hairstyles, trends, and habits are dictated by television, publications, and music videos. Not only that, but if we are old enough to have gray hair or FINE lines round our eyes, we are led to the right solution to remove any indications of aging. Is it any surprise that many of us feel terrified? Stereotypes all around us are extremely deceptive!

We see pictures of "small elderly women" who may walk slumped over, are destitute, and are at the whim of dishonest individuals. While some photos depict males aging gracefully, others depict ladies who are just old, dry, and helpless. Hogwash! While it is true that our muscles and thoughts change with age, I think that we really improve as we become older.

So, allow me to address some of the concerns raised above. o Loss of identity. I've just now began to understand who I am. I've come into my own. I'm more self-assured than I've ever been (albeit I still have a long way to go!) . o Loss of youthful appearance In a few days, I'll turn 49. I don't want to look 25. Granted, I don't have many wrinkles (just a few very fine lines...they're staying, thank you!)

Even if you do not gain weight, you may notice a minor difference in your physique. There is definitely a health advantage to having a few pounds overweight rather than very skinny as you age. o Loss of appeal. I've discovered that my personal notion of beauty evolves throughout time. Women, in my opinion, are more appealing. There is a richness and beauty that only comes with age. o Loss of independence and individuality. I've heard many ladies claim that being older allows them freedom that we don't have while we're younger. This, I believe, is particularly true for moms. When we become moms, we assume a job that requires us to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

However, as our children get older, we begin to set apart time and activities for ourselves. · A loss of style. But I'm not think I know this worry, I do know that as I become older, I find more freedom to be myself without being constrained by the newest and greatest trend. We have more flexibility to explore and play with who we are and the picture we want the world to perceive now that we are more confident in ourselves. Personal style at its finest! While some people regard becoming older as a period of loss, many women see it differently.

Companies News Managers hoping to lure employees into offices may find their youngest and newest staff are their strongest allies. Young white-collar staff feel caught between a rock and a hard place--they value quality of life over old-fashioned 9-5 commuting, but are even more worried about seeing their careers stall unless they head back into an office.

That’s encouraging many to be among the first to return to their desks. While experienced employees often have established professional networks and dedicated home offices, younger staff say the pandemic has left them under-informed and cut off from their teams.

ALSO READ: In India's pandemic, the rich buy luxury cars and the poor lose their homes

There are now growing concerns that they are missing out on career opportunities older colleagues took for granted. Well over half of staff aged 21-30 stressed the importance of being able to meet and work with colleagues in person again.

“[U]niversities should incorporate more practical experience into degrees to better prepare young people for entering the workforce. ...  today's young people will be disproportionately impacted by automation, which will affect entry-level jobs more than higher-level positions.”

“‘This changing reality of work means that young people are more likely to be doubling jobs and participating in the gig economy,’  ... schools, universities and TAFEs need to work constructively with employers to make sure students have access to lots of practical experience.”

The Sydney Morning Herald, October 14, 2019: “Students say they are not getting the right training to find work: report,” by Pallavi Singhal