The Decline of Unionization in the United States: Some Lessons from Canada

This article examines the decline in unionization that has occurred in the United States over the past half century, focusing on the role that employer opposition to unions has played, together with relatively weak labor law. It compares the U.S. experience and labor law regime to those of Canada. It finds that, compared to their Canadian counterparts, U.S. workers have much more difficulty in exercising their right to freely join and form unions and participate in collective bargaining, in large part due to ill-restrained employer opposition.