Due to political, economic and strategic shifts in the marketplace, organized labor faces very hard choices that will reverberate for decades to come. Labor must choose between two starkly different paths. One is to embrace a fundamental change in strategy and structure that leads to new partnerships and increased market share. The other is to stick with the status quo and inertia, leading to unions final demise and irrelevance. It is my view that the successful retooling of unions can provide significant added value to our industry. But it is incumbent upon them to embrace the principles of a modern business partnership to make this a reality.
As a business enterprise by any measurable criteria, organized labor has failed dismally over the past three decades. Union market share losses exceeded 50% as turmoil, graft and self-interest crippled unions market attraction and they wallowed in self denial. For their future, this is actually good news. As an alcoholic must hit bottom before facing reality, these market share losses finally have given rise to honest self reflection.