Union Members in Office: A Simple Fix for America's Broken Politics
American politics appears hopelessly fractured, with extreme polarization, vast sums of PAC money flooding elections, and the growing influence of the wealthy creating a sense that the system is beyond repair. However, a new report from the Center for Working-Class Politics offers a surprisingly straightforward solution: increase the number of union members running for political office. This approach could empower ordinary people and restore faith in the democratic process.
The Power of Union-Background Candidates
The forthcoming report, co-authored by Jared Abbott, Benjamin Y Fong, Fred DeVeaux, Dustin Guastella, and Sam Zacher, and sponsored by Arizona State University’s Center for Work and Democracy, examines the broad political impact of candidates with a labor union background. It finds that such candidates are precisely what many Americans desperately seek: politicians who sound like them, advocate for working people, and propose effective solutions to mend a broken system.
Unions have long been involved in politics, but their influence is waning, not due to reduced spending but because of the explosion in individual donor and independent expenditure spending over the past two decades. In this environment, many unions have adopted a defensive stance, primarily supporting incumbent politicians perceived as the lesser evil. This strategy is misguided, as unions overlook their greatest political asset: their members.
Bridging the Relatability Gap
One major reason people, particularly within the Democratic party, become disenchanted with politicians is a lack of relatability. Research indicates that working-class candidates constitute just 8–14% of Democratic and 5–8% of Republican congressional candidates, despite roughly half of Americans holding manual labor, service, or clerical jobs. These figures have remained stagnant since 2010, unlike improvements in gender and racial diversity among candidates.
Candidates with a union background can bridge this gap. They are more likely to come from similar social worlds as voters and focus on workplace issues and pro-worker policies during campaigns. In fact, union candidates invoke pro-worker themes 159% more frequently than non-union candidates, explaining their stronger resonance with voters.
Delivering on Promises and Effectiveness
Once elected, union-background candidates follow through on their commitments. They support progressive pro-worker legislation at higher rates than their non-union counterparts, regardless of partisanship, even after accounting for district political leanings and demographics. This credibility inspires confidence among constituents.
Moreover, these candidates prove more effective in advancing their issues. Their experience in the labor movement, such as negotiating contracts and managing factions, equips them with skills for legislative negotiations. They can identify anti-worker provisions and ensure legislation considers the impact on ordinary people.
Overcoming Barriers and Scaling Success
Unfortunately, union candidates are rare, with less than 5% of congressional candidates from 2010 to 2022 reporting any union-related background. In 2022, only 55 union candidates ran out of 1,200 total, many with weak ties to unions. The primary barrier is money, as most union candidates lack financial support for campaigning, which requires full-time attention incompatible with typical jobs.
Solutions include contract provisions to protect union members' jobs while they run and new funding mechanisms. Some labor federations are already making strides. For instance, the New Jersey AFL-CIO Labor Candidate Program trains and runs about 50 union-member candidates annually with a 75% win rate, while the Alaska AFL-CIO Allman Labor Candidate School, founded in 2022, has run about 12 candidates with a 66% win rate.
Broader Benefits for All Workers
Investing in union candidate programs could yield benefits beyond union members. High union density in an area correlates with better average wages and working conditions for all workers, and electing union candidates would similarly address worker interests broadly. As former US representative Andy Levin of Michigan noted, unions spend millions on campaigns; redirecting just 2% to electing their members could be transformative.
Working-class Americans across political persuasions desire candidates who relate to them socially, focus on the economy and jobs, and are credible community leaders. The labor movement is rich with such individuals; the challenge is enabling more of them to run for office.
