Now that summer is here, we expect a lot of you are gearing up for beach days, baseball games, pool lounging, barbecues, and more. As for us? We’re gearing up for Hot Labor Summer 2.0.
To mark May Day last month, we highlighted developments taking place in the union world. If you missed it, these included the uptick in the number of union-represented workers in the US; the public’s high favorability rating of unions; Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga ratifying their first union contract through the UAW; and the establishment of Union Now, a nonprofit which aims to increase union density in America.
It’s only been five weeks, but the good news on unions just keeps piling up—so much so that we feel we are in for a repeat of the summer of 2023. You may remember that was what organizers called “Hot Labor Summer,” given the historic victories that unions notched for workers across a variety of industries, most notably Hollywood writers and actors, Southern California hotel workers, UPS workers, and UAW auto workers. Needless to say, we hope this summer doesn’t get too hot for beachgoers, but wouldn’t mind if the temperature gets as hot—or hotter!—than it did three years ago for the labor movement.
For this week’s Closer Look, we want to give a chronological rundown of all the notable union wins we’ve seen over the last month. We’ll then highlight some of the headwinds that unions still face in America, and why we care about ensuring unions can be as “hot” as possible.
Let’s dive in!
Recent union wins
NYC Attaboy bartenders—On May 9th, bartenders at Attaboy, a world-renowned cocktail bar in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, voted 13-8 to form a union. It is the most recent “micro-union” that NYC has seen pop up in recent months at small bars, coffee shops, bookstores, board game cafes, and more. Its owners have openly pledged to negotiate in good faith with the now-unionized bartenders, whose primary concerns involve workplace conditions, decision-making power, healthcare, and the rights of immigrant workers.
WGA West Staff Union—On May 10th, the WGA West Staff Union—which represents the staff at the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW), itself a union for writers in the film industry—ended an 82-day strike and ratified its first collective bargaining agreement with WGAW. The new three-year agreement includes significant wage increases for its 116 members, along with stipulations for termination procedures and the establishment of a labor-management committee.
United Airlines’ flight attendants—On May 12th, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents nearly 30,000 United Airlines’ flight attendants, ratified a new five-year contract. Among other things, the historic agreement includes a 31% increase in base pay for flight attendants and also, critically, boarding pay, i.e. payment for the time passengers take to board the plane before the aircraft doors are closed. (Isn’t it crazy that flight attendants can spend time helping passengers and their baggage get situated before takeoff—and not get paid for it?)
Penn State University faculty—On May 14th, faculty at Penn State University voted to form a union. Over 5,000 Penn State faculty members across multiple campuses will now be represented by the “Penn State Faculty Alliance,” which will be affiliated with SEIU Local 668. This was one of the largest union elections in Pennsylvania in decades. Organizers are hoping their first contract will enhance working conditions and give faculty members more voice in university governance.
Long Island Rail Road workers—On May 18th, five unions representing 3,500 Long Island Rail Road (L.I.R.R.) workers ended a three-day strike after they reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. It was a big deal: it was the first L.I.R.R. strike in more than 30 years, and greatly impacted the 270,000 weekly commuters that depend on America’s busiest railroad. From what we know at this point, the agreement includes a 4.5% wage increase.
NYC Hotel Housekeepers—On May 18th, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, a union representing 27,000 hotel workers, secured a new eight-year contract with the Hotel Association of New York City, which represents owners of roughly 250 hotels. Three days later, a landslide of union members voted to ratify the new contract. It will increase wages by over 50%, with the average pay of housekeepers expected to rise to over $100,000. It will also continue the provision of free healthcare for union members and provide housing and childcare funds. The agreement averted a strike which threatened to upend World Cup and America 250 celebrations this summer.
Ride-share drivers in Massachusetts—On May 25th, drivers for ride-share apps like Uber and Lyft in Massachusetts announced that they formally unionized. The App Drivers Union, which is backed by the SEIU, Local 32BJ, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), will represent 70,000 drivers and be the first of its kind in the United States. The historic announcement follows a 2024 ballot initiative in which ride-share drivers won the right to unionize and collectively bargain. (We also have our eye on similar ride-share unionization efforts underway in states like California and Illinois!)
United Steelworkers—On May 27th, United Steelworkers union members employed at four Arconic plants in Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, and New York ratified a new three-year contract with the aluminum maker. The agreement gives workers a 13.6% average cumulative wage increase, along with protections for healthcare and retirement benefits and improvements on working conditions and scheduling.
Nevada state administrative workers—On May 28th, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) announced that over 3,500 administrative and clerical employees for the state of Nevada have voted to join their local 4041. These workers include administrative assistants, accounting assistants, library assistants, supply clerks, and more.
UAW Dauch Corp. workers—On June 1st, nearly 1,000 UAW workers at a Michigan axle and components plant for Dauch. Corp (formerly American Axle and Manufacturing) went on strike after failing to reach a new contract. Workers are demanding wage increases and enhanced benefits. The plant supplies parts for General Motors pickup trucks; if the strike drags on, it could affect that company’s production as well.
Conclusion
We love to celebrate progress on the path to economic justice whenever we can, so that’s why we’re so excited about these union wins. But it’s worth noting that we still have a long way to go on that path, as we have a lot of work left to do to fully breathe life back into unions.
We’ve made it no secret over the years that unions are under attack in America, particularly under the Trump administration. Yes, there was an uptick in representation in 2025, but just 11.2% of the workforce is unionized—which is a ways away from the 33.4% peak it reached in 1945. We also rank towards the bottom among OECD countries with regard to the rights and protections that we afford to organizing, collective bargaining, and striking. And if that wasn’t enough, we are also the only OECD country that lacks protections of any kind from retaliation for union representatives and whistleblowers.
We here at the Patriotic Millionaires care about unions because they have an immense ability to help us achieve two of our priorities: pay the people and spread the power. Research has shown that union workers have better wages, benefits, and working conditions over their non-unionized peers. And because unions help to channel workers’ collective voices, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that places with high union density tend to have stronger democratic outcomes, e.g. fewer voting restrictions, higher minimum wages, etc.
We have tried to be more intentional over the last few years about cultivating relationships with labor groups, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). AFT was heavily involved in the introduction of the Working Americans’ Tax Cut Act—which was modeled after the second part of our legislative platform, The MONEY Agenda—and have been key partners in our work to continue promoting the bill. AFT President Randi Weingarten also spoke at our 2026 Spring Symposium about it (you can check out her remarks beginning at the 57:00 mark here), and recently co-wrote an op-ed for The Hill with our Founder and President, Erica Payne, in support of the bill.
While there’s plenty of work left to do to make unions in America the force they once were in order for them to properly safeguard our economy and democracy, luckily, thousands of workers across America have made it clear they don’t need convincing on that front. At the end of the day, that makes our job—and the job of incredible partners like AFT—that much easier.
Cheers to Hot Labor Summer 2.0!