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Why 2022 has become the year for unions

Unions are dominating headlines right now, from an Amazon warehouse on Staten Island, New York, to a Starbucks right here in Mesa, Arizona.

Journalists at the Arizona Republic unionized in recent years, and, of course, teachers unions were behind the #RedforEd mass teacher walkouts in 2018. In fact, recent polling shows approval of unions in the U.S. is at its highest since the '60s. But the number of U.S. workers who are in unions have declined dramatically since then.

So what’s behind this seeming rise in union activity right now? Michael McQuarrie describes it as something of a perfect storm.

McQuarrie is the director for the Center of Work and Democracy at Arizona State University.

The Show spoke with him to learn about where we are now, and what could be next if the trends continue.

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Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ's The Show, is an award-winning journalist whose work has impacted communities large and small, exposing injustices and giving a voice to the voiceless and marginalized.