Characterizing YouTube Shorts Content to Determine Unionization and Worker Rights Sentiments in a Post-COVID Society

Historically, labor unions have fought for significant improvements in occupational safety, health, and worker equity. However, U.S. union membership has declined over the last century. This decline has introduced a number of strategies and approaches to engage and mobilize workers. Social media platforms offer unique opportunities for exploring union-related topics, especially among younger generations and the emerging workforce. This study conducted a content analysis on 134 YouTube Shorts posted between March 2020 - April 2024. Videos were identified using keywords related to U.S. union efforts and worker rights and subsequently filtered for relevance. Each video was then analyzed for specific characteristics, themes, and emotional tone. Coding methods included double-coding with k-statistic reliability assessment to ensure consistency and accuracy. The analysis revealed that 83.58% of the videos expressed pro-union sentiments. The most frequent themes included union organizing (60.45%), unionization news (58.96%), and the benefits of unions (23.88%). Although the videos effectively conveyed pro-union messages, fewer than one-quarter focused primarily on educating viewers about union benefits and organizing strategies. YouTube Shorts serves as an emerging social media platform for displaying current union news, particularly among young workers. However, its potential for delivering in-depth educational content on union efforts remains largely untapped.