Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 4 Administrative Director Frank Mathews joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss a recently released U.S. government report that showed corporate America used its clout in the labor market to cut wages by 20 percent.
The report, “The State of Labor Market Competition in the U.S. Economy,” was prepared by the Treasury Department with help from the Justice Department, Labor Department and Federal Trade Commission, and found companies had the upper hand in setting wages because they generally knew more about the labor market than workers.
It is a startling statistic and one those in the labor movement have generally suspected for some time, Mathews said. He credited the Biden Administration with having the foresight to acknowledge the issue and advocate for working families. It is further proof elections matter, as it is difficult to imagine the previous administration having the American worker on its radar, he added.
Mathews also spoke about President Biden’s recent nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. He said the CWA is thrilled with her nomination, as they feel she is imminently qualified with a proven track record. Besides being the first African-American woman nominated to the Highcourt in the land, Judge Jackson also has a strong record in defending workers against powerful corporations, he added.
Lastly, Mathews discussed a successful vote to unionize by nearly 600 tech workers at the New York Times. The vote was overwhelming, as over 80 percent of workers voted to form the Times Tech Guild — now the largest tech-worker union in the U.S.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics: