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What does the GM auto workers’ strike tell us about the strength of unions?

General Motors assembly workers and their supporters gather to picket outside the General Motors Bowling Green plant during the United Auto Workers (UAW) national strike in Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S., September 20, 2019.  REUTERS/Bryan Woolston - RC122F87C370

As United Auto Workers ratify a new employment contract with General Motors, ending one of the largest auto strikes in decades, Joseph Kane explains what this and other recent strikes indicate about the state of the economy at national and regional levels. Kane also explores the role of unions in supporting workers beyond their traditional collective bargaining power, especially in states with “right-to-work” laws.

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Thanks to audio producers Eowyn Fain and Gaston Reboredo, Chris McKenna, Fred Dews, and Camilo Ramirez for their support.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

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