RFBerlin Podcast Series
Welcome to the RFBerlin Podcast Series, presented by the ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin, dedicated to disseminating cutting-edge research on the economy and labour market to the academic community and beyond.
We invite leading economists to discuss the key challenges the labour market and its workers are facing. Hear what they think about recent economic trends; the impact of new technologies, outsourcing, or migration; and what governments can do to mitigate turbulences. The podcast brings you up to date with the latest empirical research without asking you to move, do math or touch data, but by meeting you where you are.
RFBerlin Podcast Series
9. Handbook Talk with Suresh Naidu: How do unions affect wages and inequality?
In this podcast episode dedicated to the new edition of the Handbook of Labor Economics, Professor Suresh Naidu from Columbia University discusses the recent resurgence of union power, for example, in the context of the successful United Auto Workers (UAW) strike in 2023.
The conversation highlights several key points with policy implications: Do unions affect inequality? How effective is union membership? Do they protect the rights and the benefits of union members, or do they have spillover effects in the rest of the labour market?
Professor Naidu takes a historical perspective and discusses the shift in the balance of power between employers and workers over the 20th century, up to the post-COVID era, characterized by a tight labour market and high corporate profits. He argues that the spillover effects of union-negotiated contracts can raise wages even for non-union workers, suggesting that a stronger union presence could be a tool for addressing income inequality on a broader scale.
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