As we head into the last few months of 2015, research suggests that unions are becoming more popular now than they have in a long time.
And some of the biggest supporters are those who will make up our future generation of leaders – millennials.
A recent Gallup Poll showed that the approval of unions jumped to 58 per cent this year, an increase of 5 per cent from last year and 10 per cent since 2008.
As pointed out in a story by the Huffington Post, the desire for more union influence is also on the rise with 37 per cent of people saying they want to see unions have more influence.
Of all age groups surveyed – millennials, aged 18 to 34, were more pro union than any other group.
Although the Gallop Poll was conducted in America, this young pro union attitude can be seen in Canada as well.
In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Canadian millennial Daniel Bastein, who works with UNITE HERE, described his desire to join the labour movement.
As a young activist, he was concerned about the growing income inequality that has been increasing as involvement in organized labour has been declining.
“I’m concerned about the direction that Canada’s heading,” said Bastien in the interview. “So many people my age are struggling for jobs, working contract-to-contract, or going to grad school to avoid the labour market. And that won’t change until the rebirth of the labour movement.”
The article pointed out that the future of the union movement in Canada is connected to young people like Bastein.
Not only is the approval of unions on the rise, so is level of life satisfaction for those who are part of a union.
A recent study found that overall union members are ‘more satisfied with their lives than those who are not members.’ This is due to factors such as wage stability, benefits and good pension plans.
As young people move into positions of power and leadership, it will be exciting to see how the labour movement grows of the next few years.