Hope Heals: UAW strike a worthy fight

By Mallory Stiles
Editor in Chief

The United Auto Workers’ labor union is on strike, and there are a lot of picket signs to be seen. So I did a little research to find out exactly what is happening and why.

Should I be honking in support as I pass these picket lines?

Striking became common during the Industrial Revolution, when mass labor became a key component in the mining industry, factory industries and many different building trades.

The act of striking became a much-needed negotiation tool for the American people, who rightfully demanded higher pay, improved working conditions, better contracts, better benefits and more manageable work hours.

Labor unions actually date all the way back to the 18th Century, but the UAW was founded in 1935 in, you guessed it, Detroit.

There have been memorable wins for the American work force, thanks to the folks at the UAW.

They are responsible for the first employer-paid health insurance plan for industrial workers, the first cost-of-living allowances, a pioneering role in product quality improvements, securing job and income provisions, and educational training programs that have saved lives.

They also donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to causes like youth mentoring programs, recreational facilities, relief funds and other community endeavors because, to them, it’s still all about the people.

There are only so many of us willing to speak truth to power. That is how we end up with the top 1 percent of Americans seeing a wage increase of 179.3 percent, according to epi.org, from 1979 to 2020.

In starkening contrast, the bottom 90 percent of Americans only saw a wage increase of 28.2 percent within the same time frame.

It is very clear who is winning and who is losing, but let’s not remember the fight isn’t over. I know we are all busy, tired and hungry, but the second we stop fighting for each other will be the day there is no one left to fight for us.

To find out more about what you should know, what you can do and how you can do it, click here.