RFBerlin Podcast Series
Welcome to the RFBerlin Podcast Series presented by the ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin. This series is dedicated to disseminating cutting-edge research on the economy, society and the welfare state to members of the academic community and beyond.
In each episode of the RFBerlin Podcast series, we invite leading scholars and experts to discuss the key challenges facing labour markets and wage earners across the globe. Join us to hear these experts discuss recent economic trends, new technologies, outsourcing, migration and what governments can do to mitigate instability and more.
Our podcast brings you up to date on the latest empirical research without any complicated mathematical formulas or data sets. Whether at home, at the office or on the road, we look forward to welcoming you wherever you choose to listen!
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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