Although the number of American workers who belong to unions continues to slide, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the union advantage in wages is growing.
The median weekly income of full-time union workers was $781 in 2004, BLS says, compared with $612 for nonunion workers. Median means half the workers make more than those amounts, half make less.
That union advantage ? $169 a week ? continues to grow; it was $143 only three years ago. The union advantage translates into almost $8,800 a year extra pay for union households. That?s on top of a huge union advantage in workplace benefits (see related article).
The union advantage is even more startling for female, African-American and Latino workers, whose pay levels traditionally trail white men. (See chart at the bottom of this article).
Union incomes are higher not only in general, but dramatically higher in specific job categories, too. From construction workers to janitors, workers doing the same work earn more when they work union. Police and firefighters earn an average of $340 a week more if they?re union. Construction workers earn $306 a week more. Local government workers earn $217 a week more.
The union advantage is still very real even in job categories where the pay difference doesn?t seem as large. In food preparation, the union advantage is ?only? $90 a week; in retail, it?s $60 a week. But who wouldn?t want $1.50 more an hour, or $3,120 extra a year?
Union membership keeps slipping
Despite these advantages, only 12.5 percent of American workers belonged to a union in 2004, BLS says, down from 12.9 percent in 2003. Things look even worse when you exclude government jobs: Only 7.9 percent of private-sector workers belong to unions, down from 8.2 percent the year before.
The AFL-CIO, which is the nation?s largest union coalition, says the continuing decline in union membership illustrates "the convergence of two painful trends for America's working families ? the climate for workers who want to organize into unions to better their economic situations is increasingly antagonistic and good jobs are still disappearing."
It notes that in national surveys, 42 million workers say they would join a union if they could ? which would nearly triple the level of union membership in the country. However, the AFL-CIO says, "workers face hostility from employers ? harassment, discrimination and even firing" if they try to form a union.
The trends reinforce the need for Congress to reform labor law by passing the Employee Free Choice Act, the AFL-CIO says, "which gives workers a fair and free chance to improve their lives with a union."
Noting the union advantage in wages and benefits, the AFL-CIO says: "The BLS numbers are bad news for all America?s workers ? not just for union members. When more workers have a union, all wage and benefits standards rise, discrimination at the workplace is checked, and entire communities do better. The states with the highest union density have much lower crime rates, better education levels, lower poverty, and higher participation in elections than states with the lowest union density."
 |
| This chart illustrates the union advantage, particularly for women and people of color. |
More information
? For details of the BLS report, see www.bls.gov
Share
Although the number of American workers who belong to unions continues to slide, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the union advantage in wages is growing.
The median weekly income of full-time union workers was $781 in 2004, BLS says, compared with $612 for nonunion workers. Median means half the workers make more than those amounts, half make less.
That union advantage ? $169 a week ? continues to grow; it was $143 only three years ago. The union advantage translates into almost $8,800 a year extra pay for union households. That?s on top of a huge union advantage in workplace benefits (see related article).
The union advantage is even more startling for female, African-American and Latino workers, whose pay levels traditionally trail white men. (See chart at the bottom of this article).
Union incomes are higher not only in general, but dramatically higher in specific job categories, too. From construction workers to janitors, workers doing the same work earn more when they work union. Police and firefighters earn an average of $340 a week more if they?re union. Construction workers earn $306 a week more. Local government workers earn $217 a week more.
The union advantage is still very real even in job categories where the pay difference doesn?t seem as large. In food preparation, the union advantage is ?only? $90 a week; in retail, it?s $60 a week. But who wouldn?t want $1.50 more an hour, or $3,120 extra a year?
Union membership keeps slipping
Despite these advantages, only 12.5 percent of American workers belonged to a union in 2004, BLS says, down from 12.9 percent in 2003. Things look even worse when you exclude government jobs: Only 7.9 percent of private-sector workers belong to unions, down from 8.2 percent the year before.
The AFL-CIO, which is the nation?s largest union coalition, says the continuing decline in union membership illustrates “the convergence of two painful trends for America’s working families ? the climate for workers who want to organize into unions to better their economic situations is increasingly antagonistic and good jobs are still disappearing.”
It notes that in national surveys, 42 million workers say they would join a union if they could ? which would nearly triple the level of union membership in the country. However, the AFL-CIO says, “workers face hostility from employers ? harassment, discrimination and even firing” if they try to form a union.
The trends reinforce the need for Congress to reform labor law by passing the Employee Free Choice Act, the AFL-CIO says, “which gives workers a fair and free chance to improve their lives with a union.”
Noting the union advantage in wages and benefits, the AFL-CIO says: “The BLS numbers are bad news for all America?s workers ? not just for union members. When more workers have a union, all wage and benefits standards rise, discrimination at the workplace is checked, and entire communities do better. The states with the highest union density have much lower crime rates, better education levels, lower poverty, and higher participation in elections than states with the lowest union density.”
|
| This chart illustrates the union advantage, particularly for women and people of color. |
More information
? For details of the BLS report, see www.bls.gov