Lynn Rhinehart

Late last year, when workers at Zenimax indicated they wanted to form a union, Microsoft stayed neutral through the organizing campaign.

A year ago, New Flyer chose neutrality during union organizing at all of its locations. Here's why.

One of the biggest challenges facing workers when they organize a union is reaching an initial collective bargaining agreement with their employer. New research confirms that only 36% of newly-organized units have a collective bargaining agreement within the first year, and 66% within three years. This delay in securing a binding, enforceable contract covering wages, hours and working conditions frustrates workers and undermines the collective bargaining process. Supporting this process helps further the Department’s mission to protect workers because unionized workers are more knowledgeable a

An update the status of the 70+ action items from the task force's first report and other actions to support workers and their organizing rights.

Empowered workers help the department fulfill its mission because these workers are more likely to know and act on their workplace rights, helping ensure better compliance with workplace laws. 

A new website aimed at getting workers the information they want and need on unions and collective bargaining is the first of its kind online resource center, with information on unions, the union advantage, and more.

America’s labor unions, likewise, have a long history of supporting actions that empower working people and advance our economy.

Across the country, workers are organizing with their co-workers and engaging in collective action to gain improvements in their jobs and workplaces. What can we learn from these recent organizing efforts? How do they fit in the broader history of worker organizing in the United States? And how can the Department of Labor support worker organizing to advance our mission of improving working conditions for all workers?  

We've been working with more than 20 Cabinet departments and White House agencies to find innovative ways to support worker organizing and collective bargaining.