In the labor heyday of the 1950s, an estimated 35 percent of workers carried union cards, according to estimates by labor studies professors. Some of the decline is attributed to former President Ronald Reagan's 1981 firing of striking air traffic controllers, who by law were prohibited from striking. Others say there is less need for union representation because the days of harsh work conditions have virtually disappeared. Ironically, it was unions who were partially responsible for creating today's labor-friendly workplace. In fact, unions helped lobby for many landmark federal laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Unions still exert a strong influence in the public sector.
Nearly 40 percent of all government workers were union members in 2000, compared to fewer than 10 percent in the private sector. Even with those kinds of statistics, unions have relatively few footholds in Southeastern states. In fact, Georgia's rate of union membership is only 6.3 percent. When employers come here, they treat their people with respect, so employees don't feel the need for unions,'' he said. But a history of management wielding an iron fist hasn't hurt.