Another Trump Presidency Could Be Disastrous For Unions

Things have been looking up for the labor movement these days.

More workers are trying to unionize their workplaces. Employees have been going on strike in numbers not seen in years . And unions have been notching some major organizing breakthroughs, including in the anti-union South .

So what could undermine this hopeful moment for organized labor as it tries to rebuild after decades of decline ? Another Donald Trump presidency.

As a protectionist, Trump could end up pursuing trade policies that benefit certain unions and their members. His running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, has at least visited a picket line in his short Senate career. And Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who addressed the Republican National Convention on Monday night, seems to think Trump is open to hearing ideas from labor leaders like himself.

But anyone who thinks Trump wouldn’t be hostile to unions should review the actions of his first stint in the White House.

He placed anti-union officials in critical roles at labor agencies. He stripped away basic workplace protections that labor advocates had fought for. He shaped a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that made the entire U.S. public sector “right-to-work.” And he tried to dismantle government job protections and crush federal employee unions .

Unions are more popular than they’ve been in decades, with a record high of Americans now believing they should have greater influence over the economy. Yet Trump has given no sign he would change tack from his first term when it comes to collective bargaining. Here are just a few ways Trump could squeeze organized labor once again.

Turning The Administrative State Against Unions

President Joe Biden has made staunchly pro-union