Workers Turn to State Action and Cross-State Coordination to Counter Trump Labor Rollbacks

In Labor Day editorials, Terri Gerstein of the NYU Wagner Labor Initiative and Gaby Goldstein of State Futures argue that President Donald Trump’s administration is dismantling workplace protections, yet workers have reasons for optimism. Union approval sits near a half-century high, and state and local governments are enacting robust labor measures, including bans on non-compete clauses in Utah and New Hampshire and a $20-hour minimum wage for airport workers in Houston.

The authors call on progressives to emulate conservative multi-state tactics used by ALEC by sharing rosters of labor violators, coordinating multi-state litigation, and aligning the timing of labor-bill introductions. They also highlight a simple, inexpensive tactic: state and local officials can facilitate union organizing by hosting meet-ups and educating the public about unions. These strategies aim to protect workers amid federal rollbacks, AI threats, and large-scale job cuts.