Opinion: Labor gains help nonunion workers

George Bloom is president of the 10,000-member Communications Workers of America Local 1104. John Durso is president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, with 250,000 members on Long Island.

The rights of working people have made headlines a lot this year, both locally and nationally. On Long Island, teachers unions in some 20 districts made concessions to avert layoffs. Public employees had their wages frozen in Suffolk County, and in Nassau, hundreds have lost their jobs. Thousands of telecommunications workers went on strike.

Low-wage retail workers at Target in Valley Stream failed to organize a union, but their effort -- watched by people nationwide -- helped to educate others about the inferiority of wages and rights in the retail industry.

Elsewhere in the nation, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily laid off thousands, while workers within the Transportation Security Administration recently unionized. In Wisconsin, where the governor and lawmakers are trying to eliminate collective bargaining from the state's civil service workforce, they've met massive resistance in the form of "We Are One" signs. The local labor movement on Long Island sent funding and resources to help in this fight, and the battle continues in other states, including Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and New Jersey.

Depressing? Not at all. The rights of workers, the role of unions, and the perception of organized labor have become more of a kitchen-table topic across Long Island and the nation. Even though union membership is at its lowest in 70 years, the number of union members is still astounding: 12.2 million nationwide, close to 2 million in New York State, and over 250,000 on Long Island.

Ad campaigns like "America works best when we say Union Yes" and "Look for the union label" may not exist any more. But with an influx of youthful union leaders like the AFL-CIO's Liz Shuler, the only woman and youngest person ever elected to the No. 2 post in this national organization based in Washington, a new, energetic movement to defend the basic rights of workers is forming.

Rising tides raise all ships, and when unions win, all working people win. When organized labor helps get safety laws passed in Albany -- like the new utility worker move-over bill, which requires motorists to move over when approaching a work crew on the highways -- it prevents accidents and saves the lives of union members and nonunion workers alike who toil on dangerous highways. When unions fought for -- and won -- call center legislation, which prevents certain companies and utilities from outsourcing those jobs, nonunionized call center workers benefited, too.

Pro-union community organizations like Jobs with Justice are popping up in almost every urban and suburban center. In Nassau County, the group is working to stop bus cuts that would affect tens of thousands of low-wage workers who depend on public transportation to get to work. And keeping those routes will help all those workers -- not just the ones with union cards.

Unions understand how vital and valuable customers and community members are. When school districts were at risk of losing teachers -- most of them young -- teachers union leaders engaged parent organizations, school boards and the community like never before, keeping the public in the loop and in some cases saving jobs and programs. Keeping these energetic teachers in the classroom is good for schools and students.

Raising the standard of living for workers has an uplifting effect on the communities where they live. Strong schools with labor peace and competitive programs raise property values; governments with qualified workers keep community values high; and private sector jobs that provide middle class incomes keep the economy moving for everyone. When unions succeed, we all win.

And that's worth remembering this year on Labor Day.