The Georgia Labor Revolution
UAW Local 868 Vice President Lesia Vaughn pickets outside of her workplace, Stellantis Chrysler parts distribution center in Morrow, Ga on Wednesday, September 27, 2023. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)
The labor union first picked up traction across the United States in the mid-20th century, with a rise of blue-collar workers advocating for fair wages and safer working conditions.
Now, in the present day, industries ranging from entertainment to distribution to gaming have made themselves more visible than ever before, with workers walking shoulder to shoulder on strike lines in their demands for livable wages and progressive change.
With a registered 20,000 union members, Georgia is continuing to raise its stakes and resources in helping to reshape the nation’s labor force for generations to come.
Georgia Labor Union Stories
SAG – AFTRA Rally Slideshow
WABE Labor Quiz
Results
#1. According to the film and television union, out of 20,000 production workers in Georgia, ________ members are a part of SAG-AFTRA.
It’s 4,000.
Georgia has become a major hub for film productions because it offers lucrative unlimited tax credits. State officials also tout the low unionization as a reason to film here.
With the current run of the SAG-AFTRA strike, many workers have found themselves out of opportunities for the first time in years.
#2. In August 2023, this Atlanta-based company ratified a five-year labor contract with the Teamsters labor union, officially shutting the door on any strike risk.
It’s UPS.
The Teamsters voted by an overwhelming 86% in favor of the collective bargaining agreement. Over the next five years, the 340,000 union-represented UPS workers can look forward to air conditioning in vehicles, improved benefits, upgraded safety measures for drivers and increased wages.
#3. Atlanta resident Eric Goins is the president of the city’s local chapter of which entertainment union?
It’s SAG-AFTRA.
Goins is part of the negotiating committee with Hollywood AMPTP moguls; he’s spent weeks at the table trying to negotiate a contract on fair compensation, protection against the use of artificial intelligence and streaming residuals.
#4. For nearly three years, a union made up of hair stylists and make-up artists of ________________ campaigned to ensure fair wages and substantial working conditions.
It’s The Atlanta Opera.
Today, after years of being improperly excluded, the hair and makeup workers of the Atlanta Opera have the right to organize and have a bargaining agreement with the Opera.
#5. Despite recent union wins within the state, Georgia still ranks as the ________ lowest in the U.S. for union membership at 4.4%.
It’s 8%.
While Georgia, which has over 200,000 union workers, saw numerous labor movements push for better pay and working conditions throughout 2023, the state’s union membership numbers are still nearly 6% lower than the national average.
Labor-Based Podcast Episodes
National Labor Union Stories
