One of the clearest messages to emerge from the AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention in Minneapolis was that organized labor continues to grow in places that were once considered difficult, if not impossible, to organize.
From ride-share drivers and warehouse workers to flight attendants and entertainment professionals, unions are finding success in sectors shaped by technology, changing business models, and nontraditional employment arrangements. While the industries differ, workers are organizing around many of the same concerns: wages, job security, workplace voice, scheduling, safety, and the growing impact of automation and artificial intelligence.
The campaigns also demonstrate that workers continue to see unions as the most effective way to secure a seat at the table when decisions affecting their jobs are made.
Drivers Seek a Voice in the Gig Economy
The gig economy has long been viewed as one of labor’s most challenging organizing environments, but workers are beginning to break new ground.
In Massachusetts, ride-share drivers for Uber and Lyft recently secured the state’s first certified statewide ride-hailing union. The effort has been supported by drivers working with the Machinists (IAM), SEIU, and labor allies seeking greater worker input into pay, benefits, working conditions, and algorithm-driven management systems.
As technology increasingly determines how drivers receive assignments and compensation, many workers see collective bargaining as an essential tool for protecting their livelihoods and ensuring greater transparency in workplace decisions.
Amazon Workers Continue Organizing Efforts
Amazon remains one of organized labor’s most closely watched campaigns.
The Amazon Labor Union (ALU), which made history at the company’s Staten Island facility, continues its efforts alongside the Teamsters, who have expanded organizing and bargaining campaigns at Amazon facilities across the country. Workers have cited concerns about safety, production quotas, scheduling, wages, and the company’s resistance to collective bargaining.
While first-contract negotiations remain a challenge, labor leaders view Amazon as a critical test of whether workers can successfully organize within one of the nation’s largest and most influential employers.
Whole Foods Workers Join the Movement
Workers at Whole Foods stores have also become part of labor’s recent organizing surge.
Supported by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), employees at several locations have sought union representation to address concerns about staffing levels, wages, scheduling, and workplace policies. Organizers argue that workers deserve a stronger voice in decisions affecting their jobs and working conditions.
Because Whole Foods is owned by Amazon, these campaigns have taken on added significance as unions seek to build worker power throughout the company’s operations.
Flight Attendants Build on Industry Recovery
The airline industry has experienced a wave of bargaining activity as unions seek contracts that reflect the sector’s strong recovery from the pandemic.
This year, members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) ratified a new agreement with United Airlines covering approximately 28,000 flight attendants. The agreement includes substantial wage increases, scheduling improvements, and other quality-of-life provisions that workers had sought for years.
The contract demonstrates how collective bargaining continues to deliver tangible gains for workers in one of the nation’s most visible industries.
Hollywood’s AI Fight Sets a National Example
Few unions have shaped the national conversation around artificial intelligence more than SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America.
Following their historic contract fights with major studios and streaming companies, both unions secured groundbreaking protections governing the use of artificial intelligence, digital replicas, and creative works. Those agreements established new standards for worker consent, compensation, and transparency when AI technologies are used.
As unions across the economy confront similar questions about automation and emerging technologies, many labor leaders point to the gains achieved by SAG-AFTRA and the WGA as a blueprint for protecting workers while embracing innovation.
A Growing Movement
The organizing campaigns unfolding across the gig economy, retail, logistics, aviation, and entertainment industries may appear different on the surface, but they reflect a common reality. Workers want a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their jobs and their futures.
Whether negotiating protections against the misuse of artificial intelligence, securing better contracts, or forming unions for the first time, workers continue to demonstrate that collective action remains one of the most powerful tools for building economic security and workplace democracy.
The momentum highlighted in Minneapolis suggests that labor’s next chapter will not be defined solely by traditional industries. Increasingly, it is being written by workers organizing in new sectors, confronting new challenges, and expanding the reach of the labor movement into workplaces that once seemed beyond its grasp.
