Working people are coming together to govern themselves in all aspects of their economic lives whether or not they are protected by twentieth-century laws—defining their own bargaining units from the perspective of what they seek to govern over. They are clear about the need to collectively negotiate in their worksites—including those that are less formal, such as domestic workers—as well as in collaboration with others who share an economic identity with them beyond work. And in-so-doing, they are fighting to expand systems of economic democracy—maximizing the decision-making power of the majority in all arenas.
We need to remind each other of our collective power — and the pride that comes from joining together to demand an end to segregation, polluted air and water, unregulated prescription drug prices, and child labor. Banding together to create parks and public education, roads, highways, and a social safety net. So many are hungry for more tools and venues for collective action.
This requires us to have a strong democracy. Healthy democracy is the product of collective participation in a shared habit. It’s not just that people aren’t joining unions; they also aren’t joining PTAs, church associations, rotaries, and other volunteer groups with democratically-elected positions within their communities. And civic participation’s demise also models political participation’s demise.
For far too long, any discussion about bargaining and unions have been centered on the legal processes governing a small select grouping of people with official union recognition. We must shift our culture to value respect, dignity, agency, and collectivism, so that all of our wins take root as values, not just laws that can be overturned or undermined.
Building a more powerful people’s movement for economic democracy will require the spread of a more expansive view of democracy, one that moves past individual rights and into the realm of shared responsibilities. Economic Democracy brings to greater numbers of ordinary people the opportunity to participate in processes that lead to them governing themselves and their conditions, thus helping to expand access to economic democracy—one of the crucial goals of the twenty-first century.