German union’s big win shows US labor the path forward
The HillFeb 12, 2018
On Friday, more than 2.3k flights were canceled as aircraft were grounded at seven major German airports after ground crew workers staged a walkout. The strike comes as unions Verdi and the Civil Service Association demand a 10.5% increase in pay for workers.
Romania's foreign minister was just one of the nearly 295K passengers impacted by the delays and cancellations. The travel woes come as delegates are set to arrive for the Munich Security Conference.
German labor laws set workers up for successful and long-term careers with participation in union industries. Unions represent power in the workforce and show workers that they are valuable components of the workplace. When changes are made in the workplace, German workers are in a better place to work with employers to advance safety and strategy. Other countries, such as the US, could benefit from a similar unionized system to avoid controversial, inadequate, and ineffective workplaces.
While Verdi has a history of loud and public strikes demanding better pay, the results have not amounted to the hype. A March 2022 strike involved over 25K workers and disrupted countless flights and passengers, yet it only yielded a deal that netted wage increases less than inflation. For a bad deal, Verdi displayed uncooperative behavior and damaged German's economic recovery post-pandemic. Clearly, action needs to be taken on behalf of suffering workers, but neither Verdi nor their boisterous strikes are the appropriate way.