The Great Union Betrayal 

Beyond The Workforce

Issue 11

By David Thomas Graves

The Issue

Declaring healthcare a fundamental right creates unintended consequences that directly impact workers, wages, and the labor movement itself. When a right requires the labor of others, such as doctors, nurses, and taxpayers, it shifts the burden onto them, often through higher taxes, reduced wages, or forced labor mandates that contradict the very principles of fair work. Labor unions, originally designed to protect workers from exploitation, are increasingly being used to push broad social policies that have little to do with employment rights, diluting their core mission. Instead of advocating for better wages and fair working conditions, unions risk becoming political tools rather than champions of worker empowerment. The real challenge isn’t whether people should have healthcare, it’s who pays for it, how it’s structured, and whether the solutions protect workers or place them under more economic strain. 

Unions had the momentum. The strikes, the victories, the record-breaking public support, everything pointed to a resurgence of labor power. But here we are, watching membership decline and influence fade. How? Why? Because the biggest threat to unions isn’t external, it’s internal. Political alignment has replaced worker advocacy. Leadership is more focused on towing party lines than fighting for the very people they claim to represent. Instead of leveraging power for real workplace wins, unions have become political pawns - ignored by one party, exploited by the other. And as long as unions keep playing the partisan game instead of forcing politicians to earn their support, they’ll keep losing. The labor movement wasn’t built to serve politicians - t was built to serve workers. It’s time unions start acting like it.

Do You Remember the ‘Summer of Labor’ in 2023? So Why Are Unions Still Losing?

In 2023, unions were supposed to be winning. At least, that’s what we were told. My own union IATSE added nearly 5,000 new members to its ranks. Strikes were happening left and right. Workers were securing better contracts, making progress. Union leaders and pundits declared we were witnessing a new golden age for labor. The public was behind us, workers had momentum, and the political capital was there.

Public support for unions was at an all-time high:

  • 91% of Democrats supported unions.

  • 69% of Independents backed labor.

  • 52% of Republicans were pro-union.

  • Among young Americans under 30, an overwhelming 88% were behind us.

Unions had everything we needed - the people, the votes, the money, and the willpower to move mountains. So why did we lose ground? Why did union membership continue to decline? Why did we have all this support, and still, influence faded instead of surged?

Let’s be brutally honest here. The labor movement didn’t grow - it stalled. And while there are many reasons for this, I want to talk about one issue that’s eating unions alive from the inside out.

It’s not right-to-work laws. It’s not corporate greed. The real enemy isn’t external - it’s political alignment and ideology over labor policy and worker representation.

It’s like a cancer that’s slowly destroying unions from the inside. It divides us. It weakens solidarity. It makes it easier for politicians and corporations to continue chipping away at worker power. This internal divide, combined with anti-worker policies pushed by both parties at different times, has created an environment where unions fail, and if we don’t fix this, unions will keep failing.

This Isn’t Just a Republican Problem - Democrats Have Failed Unions Too

Let’s get something straight. This isn’t a partisan rant. Both parties have contributed to the destruction of the labor movement.

Take the Obama administration for example. From 2009 to 2016, union membership dropped from 12.3% of the workforce to 10.7% (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Democrats controlled the White House, the Senate, and the House for the first two years of Obama’s presidency. They had everything - the political momentum, the mandate from voters, and the unwavering support of union workers.

They took union money. They told workers a new era of labor rights was coming. They promised easier organizing, a future where workers would finally get their fair share.

And what did they do?

Nothing.

Barack Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had the votes and the power to pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) - a bill that would have made it easier for workers to organize, negotiate, and win. Yet, they let it die.

They had the chance to fundamentally change the direction of unions in America, and they refused to act. This wasn’t a missed opportunity - it was a betrayal. They chose to leave unions behind. They chose to keep the status quo.

Had EFCA passed, the landscape of American labor would be different today. Union membership wouldn’t have continued its downward spiral. Worker leverage would have increased. Corporations wouldn’t have been able to sidestep organizing efforts so easily. Instead, we got more of the same: empty promises and political lip service.

And here’s the hard truth: It doesn’t matter if there’s a Democrat or a Republican in power. Unions are dying, and they’re dying because political parties see them as tools, not as independent forces that fight for workers.

The Republican War on Labor

Now, let’s talk about Republicans. They aren’t any better. They’re out there actively working to destroy unions.

Let’s look at right-to-work laws - a government-sanctioned attack on unions. These laws allow non-union workers to benefit from union-negotiated wages, benefits, and protections without paying a dime in dues. That’s essentially wage theft, legalized by the government. And Republicans celebrate it.

Imagine this: You’re a contractor. You do a job, send the invoice, and expect payment. But the client says, “No thanks, I’ll just take the benefits and not pay you.” The courts side with them.

That’s right-to-work. It’s freeloading at its finest. And Republicans aren’t just allowing it, they’re celebrating it.

Then there’s the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, this was a game-changer for unions, but not in a good way. It gave states the power to pass right-to-work laws, effectively crippling unions' ability to organize. It banned wildcat strikes, blocked cross-state organizing, and stripped unions of their ability to require dues. It made it harder to build a union strong enough to fight back.

So don’t kid yourself. Republicans don’t just oppose unions, they actively weaken them. They celebrate every victory they get in the war on labor.

The Three Big Problems Killing Unions from Within

Now let’s look at what’s killing unions from the inside - because let’s be clear: Unions are their own worst enemy right now.

1. Blind Ideology Over Worker Needs

Unions were never meant to be partisan machines. They were built to fight for workers, not to toe a party line. But somewhere along the way, unions got hijacked by political ideology.

The truth is, not every union member is a Democrat. In fact, 40% of union members lean conservative. Yet, union leadership too often treats the entire movement like it’s left-wing - and that’s a problem.

A huge portion of the workforce feels politically homeless. They’re ignored by Democrats and dismissed by Republicans.

Supporting a political party blindly is not strategy - it’s a liability. Unions need to support the politicians who fight for workers, regardless of party affiliation.

2. Ignoring Union Members & Prioritizing Non-Workplace Issues

Unions exist to fight for better contracts, better benefits, and better conditions for workers. That’s their primary mission. But too often, unions get distracted by non-workplace political battles.

Workers don’t want unions focusing on cultural wars or social issues. They want unions to fight for their wages and job security. When unions start getting involved in non-labor politics, they alienate their own members and create unnecessary division.

Unions need to be 100% focused on workplace issues. Anything else is a distraction.

3. Lobbying to Change Laws Instead of Changing Enforcement

Unions are obsessed with changing laws, hoping for the perfect labor law to come along. But the truth is, how laws are enforced is just as important - if not more.

Corporations don’t waste time trying to change laws - they lobby to change how laws are enforced. They fight for pro-business interpretations of laws. And that’s how they win.

Unions need to start playing the same game. Instead of waiting for a perfect pro-labor law, unions should be fighting to influence how existing laws are interpreted and enforced. That’s how you get real power - without waiting on politicians to act.

The Political Dependency Trap: How Unions Keep Losing

So, how did unions get here? Why are we stuck in this cycle of political dependence?

It’s simple: Democrats are the lesser of two evils, and unions have been forced into an uneasy alliance with them.

  • When Democrats control Washington, unions feel safe because labor protections stay intact - or so they believe.

  • When Republicans take over, unions go into defense mode, just trying to survive the next round of attacks on worker rights.

But here’s the real problem: Democrats take unions for granted, and Republicans are actively working to dismantle them.

This isn’t power - it’s dependence.

The Democratic Party expects union loyalty without delivering real results. When they have control, they make small, incremental changes but avoid passing anything that would truly strengthen unions long-term. Why? Because a strong, independent union movement means politicians lose control over labor.

Meanwhile, Republicans don’t even pretend to support unions. Their policies actively strip workers of power, lowering wages, weakening labor protections, and passing corporate-friendly legislation. They celebrate every decline in union membership as an economic win.

So unions are left with no real allies. They’re stuck choosing between a party that uses them and a party that wants them gone.

That’s not a strategy. That’s a death sentence.

The Solution: Unions Must Take Back Control

Unions have two choices:

  1. Continue playing the partisan game - and keep losing.

  2. Reclaim their independence and make every politician, left or right, earn their support.

It’s time for unions to stop blindly following party lines. Here’s what that looks like:

1. No More Blank Checks to Democrats

Democrats can no longer assume union support. If they want labor backing, they need to prove it with action - not just words.

That means:

  • No more political donations to candidates who refuse to push real pro-labor legislation.

  • No more endorsements for politicians who only remember unions when they need votes.

  • Holding elected officials accountable - if they fail to fight for workers, unions should publicly call them out.

2. Support Policies, Not Parties

Unions should be backing policies, not political labels. If a Republican supports stronger worker protections, unions should be willing to work with them. If a Democrat refuses to take action, unions should withhold support.

This forces politicians to compete for union endorsements, rather than treating them as a given.

3. Build Alliances Beyond Politics

Corporate America fights for its interests across industries, unions should be doing the same.

  • Unions should be feared by politicians, not controlled by them.

  • Cross-industry labor coalitions should be developed, creating networks of power that don’t rely on political parties.

  • Workers' rights should be fought for with the same intensity as corporations fight for deregulation.

4. Shift the Focus to Enforcement, Not Just Legislation

Instead of waiting for the perfect pro-labor law, unions should:

  • Pressure regulatory agencies to enforce existing labor laws aggressively.

  • File lawsuits against corporations that violate worker protections.

  • Push for pro-union interpretations of labor laws, just like businesses push for deregulation.

The reality is, corporations aren’t waiting for new laws, they’re shaping how existing ones are enforced. Unions need to start playing the same game.

The Bottom Line

Unions weren’t built to serve politicians. They were built to serve workers.

That means:

  • No more distractions: unions need to refocus on what actually matters: better wages, stronger contracts, and real worker protections.

  • No more ideological fights: political debates that have nothing to do with labor are dividing workers and weakening solidarity. Unions must represent all members, not just those who align with leadership’s personal beliefs.

  • No more blind loyalty: politicians, regardless of party, need to earn union support through action, not empty promises. Unions should back policies that strengthen labor, not parties that take them for granted.

Just power, leverage, and results.

Because when unions focus on what actually matters, they don’t just survive—they win.

© David Thomas Graves 2025

Why Labor Keeps Losing Despite Winning    

Labor unions are standing at a critical crossroads. Once the unwavering champions of fair wages, job security, and safe working conditions, many have lost their footing, drifting into the murky waters of partisan politics. In the process, they’ve alienated large segments of their own membership, forgotten their original mission, and diluted their collective power. The result? Disillusioned workers, fractured solidarity, and a growing public perception that unions no longer speak for the everyday worker.

This article dives into the heart of that crisis, and the path forward. It explores how unions can reclaim their independence, re-center their focus on member needs, and demand political accountability from all sides of the aisle. If labor is to survive, and matter, in the future of work, it must shed the baggage of political allegiance, rebuild trust, and remember what made it powerful in the first place: unity, not division.