Why unions are becoming increasingly popular among hourly workers

Between the lack of flexibility and low wages,  hourly workers seem to get the short end of the stick in the U.S. labor market — have they finally had enough? 

According to workforce management platform Legion Technologies, only 50% of hourly workers believe their employers genuinely care about their experience on the job, and 42% report that their employer has done nothing to improve their workplace in the last 12 months. This dissatisfaction comes with consequences: While under 10% of employees reported a unionization effort at their organization this year, nearly 30% of workers wish there had been a labor union movement at their company. 

If the employee experience continues to worsen into next year, those wishes may become action, says Traci Chernoff, senior director of employee engagement at Legion Technologies.

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"It comes from the dissatisfaction in employee experience," she says. "We know that when employees are happy, they're having a great experience and they feel that their employers are listening to them, there really isn't as much of an appeal when it comes to unionization."

According to Legion, poor wages, unsatisfactory benefits and bad work-life balance were the top three drivers of unionization. But beyond the obvious — namely, improving compensation — Chernoff emphasizes flexibility as key to a happy employee experience. And while many frontline workers can't necessarily work from home, Legion found that their desire for flexibility was not the same flexibility sought out by office workers. Notably, 55% of respondents said increased flexibility around shift work would persuade them to change jobs.

"Providing employees with greater control over their schedules fundamentally increases not only employee happiness and satisfaction but also decreases turnover," says Chernoff. "When you allow an employee to own their schedule, they can meet their needs."

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This can also apply to earned wage access benefits: Since hourly workers often live paycheck to paycheck, being able to access their earnings ahead of the next payday is another vital way to offer flexibility, she explains. 

Chernoff advises employers to invest in technologies that make it easy for employees to control their schedules, wage access and other benefits. She also encourages employers to reject the idea that hourly workers are inherently temporary and do not need the same level of investment as salaried employees. 

"First, leverage automation in order to remove those administrative burdens so managers can focus on the human side of their work," says Chernoff. "Second, provide employees with greater control and ownership of their [work] if you want to increase retention and reduce the risk of unionization."

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If employers are still trying to figure out where to start improving their employee experience, Chernoff suggests surveying and listening to what employees have to say about current conditions. Depending on the company, employees may be primarily concerned with on-the-job safety, while others may be frustrated with their current health plan. In this case, ignorance is not bliss, underlines Chernoff. 

"Employers need to be open and communicative and take positive action," she says. "Then employees will understand that their employers are actively working to improve their lives."