This year, the whole world watched as Workers across New York City and across the country came together in an unprecedented wave of activism and solidarity.

In New York City, we saw more than 70,000 Striking Workers hit the streets demanding fair contracts, improved working conditions, protections against unregulated technology and a voice at work.

Health Care, Entertainment, Media, Retail, Legal, Cultural, Manufacturing, Academic and other Workers all stood up to say that enough was enough, and they were joined on their picket lines by Union Siblings and supporters from every sector of New York City’s economy.

The impact of the surge in Strike activity was felt far beyond just the Unions and Members involved.

Other Workers watched and learned from the Strikers and put those lessons into practice when it came to their own negotiations.

The result?

For every Strike victory we saw this year, we saw another negotiation end in success without the need to Strike, because Union Members turned out in force to show the bosses what solidarity looked like.

Employers saw what was happening in our City’s streets and many thought twice about bringing the movement to their own doorstep. 

The wind is at our backs, but we can’t afford to lose momentum.

Corporations haven’t given up on wrestling power away from their Workers - just this month veteran Labor Reporter Steven Greenhouse wrote about how they’re attempting to crush new Unions by delaying negotiations and making it harder than ever to reach a first contract.

It’s a tactic we’ve certainly seen here in New York City, where workers from our coffee shops to our legal services providers have successfully Unionized - only to find themselves bogged down in first contract negotiations that drag on for years because there’s little incentive for bosses to come to the table in good faith.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: 2023: A Year-In-Review | New York City Central Labor Council (nycclc.org)