The News Stand

How Labor Unions Help Protect Democracy

This guide explains how labor unions and democracy help each other. When democracy is strong, unions can protect workers better and get higher wages. When democracy is weak, unions often get attacked first. But unions also help save democracy. They have organizing skills, trusted networks, and can bring different groups together. The guide shows real examples from around the world. In North Carolina, tobacco unions helped the Civil Rights movement. In India, farmer unions kept protests peaceful for over a year. In Tunisia, unions gave protesters safe meeting places. Unions can fight back against threats to democracy by organizing strikes, making their case to the public, and using their networks to support pro-democracy movements. The article includes links to 198 ways to protest without violence and shows how American unions are responding to current threats to democracy.