Organized labor is having a moment. After the highly publicized (and politicized) events of what some are calling “hot labor summer,” that much is clear. “We do see the events of new unions forming, even at the Starbucks stores here in Utah. That didn’t happen before,” explains Dr. Eunice Han, an assistant professor in the University of Utah Economics Department. Salt Lake City Public Library workers are seeking to form the first library union in Utah and the employees of Starbucks stores in Utah have voted to unionize. This is at a time when UPS averts a strike by meeting the Teamsters Union’s demands and United Auto Workers strike. Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) picket the lots of major film studios. “So you can decide whether this is just one case of exceptional stuff, but if you see this everywhere, say, all across the Starbucks in the United States, then it’s some kind of a movement, right?” says Han.  

Why now?

This movement began building during the pandemic, and many in the fight point specifically to Amazon employee efforts to unionize led by Christian Smalls, who first organized a walkout at a Staten Island, N.Y. Amazon warehouse over unsafe working conditions as COVID-19 spread unmitigated. Amazon fired Smalls for his trouble. Other workers faced constant uncertainty and job instability. The pandemic exposed how many so-called “essential workers” felt unrecognized, unprotected and under-compensated, despite their work being deemed necessary for society to function. 

As the fear over the pandemic subsided, the hollow accolades for heroic essential workers evaporated, but their struggles did not. Meanwhile, workers’ real wages have been stagnant, while the corporations that employ them report record profits and pay out sky-high dividends and stock buybacks for shareholders. That only further highlights the overall growing economic inequality of the last 50 years, which is attributed in part to the respective weakening of the labor movement. These factors have been in motion for decades, but workers are emboldened now in ways they have not been during much of that time. 

Han says the messaging and visibility of strikes by high-profile unions like SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are likely inspiring workers across all industries. “They hear the news of writers striking in Hollywood and think, ‘Maybe it’s time for us to speak up.’” Historically, organizing collectively is one of the few ways U.S. workers have consistently been able to progress their interests. A strong labor movement put in place the worker protections we now take for granted—8-hour workdays, overtime pay, the ban on child labor, weekends, a minimum wage, etc. But, collective bargaining does not have the power it once had, in part because our work can be substituted much easier now through outsourcing or by machines. “If employers can go to other places easier instead of giving higher wages to workers, then the bargaining power of the union is lower,” explains Han. Rather than undermining the recent labor movement, the threat of being replaced has emboldened the movement and increased its urgency.

What do we want?

At an event where actors would normally be promoting their latest project to a mass of ecstatic fans, some voice actors instead held a somber panel discussion about the existential threat they face from the unchecked use of machine learning models, collectively referred to as artificial intelligence (AI). As a sign of the times, this year’s San Diego Comic-Con was bereft of the usual movie hype and big IP fanfare because of the ongoing Hollywood strikes, and some of SAG-AFTRA’s negotiators and striking actors instead made their case to reporters and fans. They highlighted the specific use of the technology that positions voice actors at the forefront of the AI issue—an issue that they believe could eventually impact the livelihoods of workers in every industry. 

Voice actors have had their voices recorded for one project and then replicated by AI without their permission in other projects. “What we’re interested in is consent and compensation of the people who are being used. So if you’re going to replicate me or any other performer, we should consent to that, and then we should be compensated for the use,” says ​​Zeke Alton, actor and a SAG-AFTRA negotiating member. 

“We’ll be fighting to make sure that AI doesn’t overtake the human element of creativity,” says Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, alluding to the potential harm to society at large as profit-seeking drives companies’ attempts to remove humanity from the creative process. 

“There is the concept that these large algorithmic machines generate things. Well, they don’t generate anything new,” says Alton. In some cases, the technology scours the online landscape, takes content, runs it through an algorithm and generates an amalgamation. Alton says there needs to be more transparency of what those machines are taking “because it affects the entire labor force. If we can’t see into the machine, then we have no idea of whose life’s work and training are being taken for free, without consent and compensation, and turned into something that makes money for a billionaire sitting somewhere at a retreat. So that’s why this is important to us.”

The union members know the technology is here to stay, but they believe that the unmitigated and uncompensated use of machines to supplant human labor is not an inevitability. “When you look at things like the assembly line that changed the world, the internet that changed the world, that can go one way or the other,” says Alton. “It can be a tool to allow the population to rise, or it can be a tool in the hands of the masters to bring the wealth to a single point in the one percent.”

Ashly Burch, actor in Horizon Zero Dawn and WGA member, says this fight is necessary to ensure a future for the most vulnerable. “It is about protecting people who are new to the industries that they’re trying to enter, who don’t have the support or clout to be able to defend themselves from predatory contracts. That’s a big thing across all unions right now and all the negotiations.” As it stands, the majority of SAG-AFTRA members work day jobs and many don’t meet the union’s income eligibility threshold of $26,470 per year to qualify for healthcare. “I think having unions and being part of a union is a massive, massive movement right now and essential to protect against this kind of technology,” says Burch. “I believe that with collective bargaining you can make protections that ensure that your livelihood is not replaced.” 

When do we want it?

So, you have a union…how do you get employers to listen to your demands? Notably, some of the targets of recent unionization and strike efforts—Amazon, Starbucks and the major motion picture studios—have not come to the table to negotiate in good faith, even with the collective action of its employees. “Employers will always come to the meeting thinking that ‘I’m really not willing to sign anything today,’” says Han. “And the atmosphere is pretty heated. It’s not peaceful, as you can imagine. So unions need to be more strategic.” 

One of the most powerful strategies a union has is to get the public on their side. Public support for unions and organized labor is higher than it has been in decades. According to a Gallup poll from August of last year, 71% of Americans now approve of labor unions. That’s the highest rate of union support since 1965. Even with their more positive attitudes toward labor unions, Han says drastic action could be needed to increase visibility and attract public support. “Employees are going on a strike because they learned that the public actually understands their struggles better if they go on a strike.” 

“As a consumer, you should know that these big companies do care about what you think. Maybe not individually, but collectively, they do.” As SAG-AFTRA’s Chief Negotiator, Crabtree-Ireland says, he hears about company concerns over public perception every single day through back channels. “They definitely care about consumers turning away from the things that generate revenue for them. And so you have immense power if you just inform yourself and don’t let their spin confuse you.” 

As to making the decision to strike, “That kind of drastic action will bring more attention to the public. And, usually, the public view is a kind of weapon, a powerful tool, that workers can wield,” says Han. “But the strategy is kind of a last resort.” 

While striking may be a last resort, when faced with something they see as an existential threat, many workers are not backing down, and that is keeping this broader labor movement alive. “There’s a philosophical difference for how the workers feel and how the employers feel…they [the employers] don’t want to get caught at a competitive disadvantage,” explains Alton. “But they’re bargaining for a competitive and financial advantage. We’re bargaining for our very existence.” As a retired U.S. Navy test pilot and commander, Alton opts for the military metaphor. “We talk in negotiations, ‘Is this the hill you’re willing to die on?’ And we are at an inflection point in history right now. We can choose to fight and die on that hill, or we will be summarily executed there. That’s the only choice we have.”  

One of the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, M. Russell Ballard died Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, at 95 years old. The LDS Church (also known widely as the Mormon Church) announced Ballard’s death Monday. He was the most senior acting member of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—its highest authority outside of its First Presidency.

According to the church’s announcement, after a recent stay in the hospital, Ballard returned home, where he “attended to duties as he was able,” before passing away at approximately 11:15 p.m. on Sunday, surrounded by loved ones. 

Ballard is survived by his seven children, 43 grandchildren, 105 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Ballard’s wife Barbara passed away back in 2018. Those who knew him in the church remember Ballard’s singing Barbara’s praises, “She’s just an angel. It’s awfully hard to live with somebody that’s almost perfect.” In an address at the LDS Church’s general conference shortly after her death, Ballard said, “How grateful I am to know where my precious Barbara is and that we will be together again, with our family, for all eternity.” 

In his final general conference address before his death, Ballard recounted the current church’s version of how Joseph Smith founded the Mormon Church, extolled Smith’s virtues and reflected on his 50 years as an apostle and other leadership roles within the church. 

A legacy now shadowed by controversy

In the weeks and months before his death, Ballard appeared in dozens of news headlines because of his relationship with Tim Ballard (no familial relation), the former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), whom multiple people have accused of sexual misconduct and misleading donors. The LDS Church has distanced itself from Tim Ballard and insinuated that Tim Ballard exploited his friendship with M. Russell Ballard to further his personal interests (as originally reported by VICE News), the still-developing story casts a shadow on M. Russell Ballard’s legacy and raises questions about his dealings as a religious leader and a businessman. The words of the Bard might come to the minds of some, “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.” 

M. Russell Ballard became an LDS Apostle in 1985 and then Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 2018. His legacy as a leader of the LDS Church includes the creation of  Preach My Gospel, the instruction guide for all Mormon missionaries. In the church’s statement on Ballard’s death, LDS President Russell M. Nelson said, “He’ll be remembered as a wonderful husband and a great father. This is where his highest priority was. He set a good example for us on that, even though he’d had many, many demands upon his time. His family always came first.” 

In regards to family, Ballard is descended from a long line of prominent Mormon leaders. His grandfathers Melvin J. Ballard and Hyrum M. Smith were both apostles, his great-grandfather was LDS President Joseph F. Smith, the nephew of Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith. One of the possible stains on Ballard’s legacy is the allegation he used his position and authority as a leader of the church to promote his family’s business interests. An exhibit in an ongoing lawsuit against O.U.R. and Tim Ballard states that Davis County District Attorney Troy Rawlings had reason to believe, “Elder M. Russell Ballard’s son-in-law is involved in investing O.U.R.’s money and Elder Ballard and/or his family is benefiting from the investments.” 

The lawsuit also alleges “The Davis County Investigation, according to O.U.R.’s own internal documents, revealed that Elder M. Russell Ballard and other authorities from the Mormon Church, provided Mormon tithing records to O.U.R. to help O.U.R. target wealthy donors and wealthy Mormons,” and that Tim Ballard has met with M. Russell Ballard in the Church Administration Building to discuss O.U.R.’s work.

The LDS Church has denied that Ballard ever released tithing records to O.U.R. or any other organization. The church also denied it ever endorsed or supported O.U.R. or Tim Ballard. In defense of Tim Ballard, a wealthy member of the church and founder of ClickFunnels, Russell Brunson posted a video on social media saying M. Russell Ballard approached him, “he personally called me and asked me to help Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad.” Going on to say, “I have literally sat in the room with Elder Ballard and Tim Ballard to discuss these things and these ideas.”

In his professional life before being called as an apostle, M. Russell Ballard was involved in the automotive, real estate and investment industries. His first car dealership failed when Ford shuttered the automotive brand Edsel. Ballard attributed the business’s failure to ignoring inspiration he received while praying. Later, Ballard became president of Keystone Securities Corporation, and not long after that, the Securities and Exchange Commission started investigating Keystone for fraud, ultimately charging the company with providing false statements to the SEC and revoking its broker-dealer registration. Another venture of his, the Valley Music Hall was a concert venue in Bountiful, Utah. According to the faith’s Church News, “After fire damaged the building in the 1970s, the Church purchased the building and converted it for conferences and other Church and cultural functions.”

On business and hard work, the church’s Monday statement quotes M. Russell Ballard as saying, “Ultimately, it works out to your satisfaction that either you win, and it becomes profitable, or you learn that it’s not going to work, and you step away from it, but you never leave wondering if you’re willing to stay with it.” 

Fellow Mormon apostle Dallin H. Oaks adds, “His business experience served him well in asking the probing questions that need to be asked when you propose a program or when you ask, ‘Are we using the resources effectively?’”

The O.U.R. lawsuit claims Tim Ballard said M. Russell Ballard gave permission for the use of controversial tactics in O.U.R. operations—specifically, a tactic called the “couples ruse,” which allegedly allowed opportunities for Ballard to sexually assault women who went undercover with him. The suit also asserts that Tim Ballard claimed M. Russell Ballard had given him multiple priesthood blessings. 

In his own words in a 2019 graduation address at BYU Idaho, M. Russell Ballard spoke of a trip he went on with his son Craig, son-in-law Brad and “family friend,” Tim Ballard: “I had the opportunity this past summer to travel to Plymouth, Massachusetts, with my friend Tim Ballard to learn more about what he had learned regarding Nephi’s vision of these early Pilgrims and how their history corroborates Nephi’s vision.” Mormons believe Nephi is an ancient prophet who came to North America from Israel sometime around 600 B.C. 

As far as where Tim Ballard received his insights on Nephi, the lawsuit against Tim Ballard claims “[Tim] Ballard would get ketamine treatments and have a scribe come in with him while he would talk to the dead prophet Nephi and issue forth prophecies about Ballard’s greatness and future as a United States Senator, President of the United States, and ultimately the Mormon Prophet, to usher in the second coming of Jesus Christ.” The lawsuit also alleges that Tim Ballard consulted a psychic medium (another defendant in the lawsuit) who also communed with Nephi. 

Funeral services for M. Russell Ballard

Funeral services for M. Russell Ballard are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. MST, at the Tabernacle on Temple Square. The funeral will be open to the public ages eight years and older.The Temple Square gates and the Tabernacle doors will open at 9:30 a.m., and attendees should be in their seats by 10:30 a.m. The funeral services will also stream live on the Church’s broadcasts page as well as BYUtv. A private burial service will take place at the Salt Lake City Cemetery immediately following the funeral. There will be no public viewing. 

In lieu of flowers, President Ballard’s family has asked that donations be made to This Is The Place Heritage Park.