It’s a tough time for unions in the age of Trump — cities and states can help

The labor movement confronts an increasingly hostile national political environment that threatens to erode union strength and worker protections. Rather than waiting for more favorable conditions at the federal level, labor advocates are turning their attention to the cities and states where they may have greater influence and opportunity to advance union interests.

Local and state governments possess several tools to strengthen unions and worker organizing. These include adopting project labor agreements on public construction projects, establishing prevailing wage standards, protecting workers' rights to organize in publicly funded settings, and enacting legislation that removes barriers to union formation. Cities and states can also model support for unionization in their own public sector workforce and procurement policies.

Communities across the nation have begun recognizing that strong unions contribute to broader economic stability, reduce wealth inequality, and provide stable employment for working families. By implementing pro-labor policies at the grassroots level, local leaders can create conditions that enable union growth even as national politics prove challenging.

The strategy of focusing on municipal and state action reflects a pragmatic assessment that labor's future may depend less on Washington than on sustained organizing and political engagement at the community level. This distributed approach can build union power incrementally while creating models that demonstrate the benefits of collective bargaining and worker solidarity.