A powerful wave of labor activism is sweeping across the United States, driven by growing worker frustration and a renewed push for unionization. From Hollywood studios to retail giants, employees are organizing to demand better wages, safer workplaces, and a stronger voice in their industries. This surge, fueled by economic inequality and technological disruption, signals a pivotal moment for unions and worker rights.
A New Era of Worker Militancy
Labor unions are experiencing a renaissance, with public support at its highest in decades. A 2024 Gallup poll found that 68% of Americans approve of unions, a figure that has held strong into 2025. This backing reflects widespread discontent over stagnant wages, rising costs, and job insecurity, particularly among younger workers. In California, nearly 200,000 union members have engaged in strikes or picketing this year, marking the most significant labor activity in decades.
Labor unions are experiencing a renaissance, with public support at its highest in decades. A 2024 Gallup poll found that 68% of Americans approve of unions, a figure that has held strong into 2025. This backing reflects widespread discontent over stagnant wages, rising costs, and job insecurity, particularly among younger workers. In California, nearly 200,000 union members have engaged in strikes or picketing this year, marking the most significant labor activity in decades.
High-profile actions underscore this militancy. The United Food and Commercial Workers, representing 65,000 grocery workers in Southern California, has been locked in tense negotiations with major chains over a long-overdue contract. Meanwhile, Teamsters are intensifying efforts to organize Amazon’s workforce, citing the company’s low wages and high injury rates as rallying points. These actions echo historic victories, like the 2022 Amazon Labor Union win at a Staten Island warehouse, which galvanized workers nationwide.
Technology and AI as Catalysts
Emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are reshaping workplaces and amplifying labor concerns. In 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA struck to secure protections against AI’s potential to replace creative labor, setting a precedent for worker input on tech implementation. Gallup’s 2023 survey showed strong public support for these strikes, with Americans siding with workers fearing job loss to automation.
Emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are reshaping workplaces and amplifying labor concerns. In 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA struck to secure protections against AI’s potential to replace creative labor, setting a precedent for worker input on tech implementation. Gallup’s 2023 survey showed strong public support for these strikes, with Americans siding with workers fearing job loss to automation.
Unions are now advocating for “co-creation” of technology plans, ensuring workers have a say in how AI and other tools are deployed. Researchers at the University of California Labor Center have developed resources to help unions navigate these changes, emphasizing collective bargaining as a tool to balance innovation with job security. This focus is critical as AI continues to disrupt industries from logistics to entertainment.
Young Workers Leading the Charge
Younger generations are at the forefront of this labor surge, driven by economic pressures like soaring rents, student debt, and inflation. Unlike previous generations, they view unions as a practical solution to improve pay and conditions without requiring advanced degrees. At companies like Starbucks, where over 220 stores have unionized, and Trader Joe’s, young baristas and cashiers are organizing with unprecedented enthusiasm.
Younger generations are at the forefront of this labor surge, driven by economic pressures like soaring rents, student debt, and inflation. Unlike previous generations, they view unions as a practical solution to improve pay and conditions without requiring advanced degrees. At companies like Starbucks, where over 220 stores have unionized, and Trader Joe’s, young baristas and cashiers are organizing with unprecedented enthusiasm.
This activism extends beyond retail. Museum workers, digital journalists, and even undergraduates at colleges like Grinnell and Dartmouth are forming unions, often with overwhelming support. Inspired by movements like Black Lives Matter and Fight for $15, these workers see unionization as part of a broader push for economic justice.
Challenges and Opposition
Despite the momentum, unions face significant hurdles. Corporate resistance remains fierce, with companies hiring union-avoidance consultants and holding captive audience meetings to deter organizing. Amazon, for instance, has been criticized for its anti-union tactics, though a 2025 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling compelled the company to bargain with workers at a San Francisco facility.
Despite the momentum, unions face significant hurdles. Corporate resistance remains fierce, with companies hiring union-avoidance consultants and holding captive audience meetings to deter organizing. Amazon, for instance, has been criticized for its anti-union tactics, though a 2025 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling compelled the company to bargain with workers at a San Francisco facility.
Political threats also loom. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a blueprint for a potential Republican administration, proposes policies that would weaken unions, including banning card-check organizing and repealing the Davis-Bacon Act, which ensures prevailing wages on public projects. In March 2025, an executive order from President Donald Trump stripped collective bargaining rights from over 1 million federal workers, prompting fierce backlash from unions like the AFL-CIO. Critics argue these moves prioritize corporate profits over worker welfare.
The Road Ahead
The labor activism surge of 2025 reflects a broader societal shift toward empowering workers. Unions are not only fighting for better pay and conditions but also redefining their role in a tech-driven economy. As Kent Wong of the UCLA Labor Center notes, California’s robust union presence amplifies this movement, though immigrant workers face unique risks amid anti-immigrant policies.
The labor activism surge of 2025 reflects a broader societal shift toward empowering workers. Unions are not only fighting for better pay and conditions but also redefining their role in a tech-driven economy. As Kent Wong of the UCLA Labor Center notes, California’s robust union presence amplifies this movement, though immigrant workers face unique risks amid anti-immigrant policies.
For businesses, the rise in worker activism demands a strategic response. Engaging with unions collaboratively, as some employers are beginning to do with technology plans, can create win-win outcomes. For workers, the path forward involves sustaining momentum through organizing, legal battles, and public advocacy. As the labor movement gains traction, it’s clear that unions are once again a vital force in shaping America’s economic future.