Nesslein talks unions with WFRV, Channel 5

Urban and Regional Studies Prof. Tom Nesslein offered some context on the issue of declining union membership figures in a story that aired Thursday (Jan. 24) on WFRV, Channel 5. The story referenced recent Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers that show a sharp decline in union membership, especially in Wisconsin (down 13 percent). Membership figures haven’t been that low since the Great Depression, Nesslein said. In part, it’s due to the improvement of working conditions and industries replacing employees with machines. “It’s much more competitive,” he said, “therefore companies have to face cost pressures that they didn’t (previously) have to face.” Full story.