In 2006, 12 percent of employed wage and salary workers were union members, down from 12.5 percent a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Labor\'s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. The number of people belonging to unions fell by 326,000 in 2006 to 15.4 million.
In Minnesota, the number of union members rose from 392,000 in 2005 to 395,000 last year. The percentage of union members in the workforce rose slightly from 15.7 percent to 16 percent.
The number of workers actually represented by unions in Minnesota is higher – 16.8 percent – because public sector labor law and some union contracts allow workers to enjoy the benefits of a union contract without joining the union.
In the mid-1950s, organized labor represented 35 percent of the U.S. workforce. But the percentage has declined steadily in recent decades, due in part to outsourcing of traditionally union manufacturing jobs, the failure of unions to organize new industries and ferocious – and often illegal – employer opposition.
A recent report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that one out of every five workers who tries to organize a union is fired. (Click here to read about the report). It is illegal under the National Labor Relations Act to fire workers for union activism, but the penalties are slight. Unions are hoping the new Democratic majority in Congress will pass the Employee Free Choice Act, making it easier for workers to join unions and punishing employers who violate worker rights.
In its latest report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that workers in the public sector had a union membership rate of 36.2 percent, nearly five times that of private sector workers. One reason is that government is less likely to engage in the illegal tactics that private employers use to stop unionization.
Nationwide, education, training and library occupations had the highest unionization rate among all occupations – 37 percent. Among major private industries, transportation and utilities had the highest union membership rate (23.2 percent), followed by construction (13 percent). Within the information industry, telecommunications had a 20.7 percent union membership rate. Financial activities had the lowest unionization rate in 2006 – 1.9 percent.
In 2006, the union membership rate was higher for men (13.0 percent) than for women (10.9 percent). Black workers were more likely to be union members (14.5 percent) than were whites (11.7 percent), Asians (10.4 percent), or Hispanics (9.8 percent). Among age groups, union membership rates were highest among workers 45 to 64 years old (16.0 percent) and were lowest among those ages 16 to 24 (4.4 percent).
Full-time workers were more than twice as likely as part-time workers to be union members, 13.1 and 6.3 percent, respectively.
Among states, Hawaii (24.7 percent), New York (24.4 percent), Alaska (22.2 percent) and New Jersey (20.1 percent) had the highest union membership rates. North Carolina and South Carolina posted the lowest rates (3.3 percent each).
Minnesota ranked eighth in union membership rates among all the states.
For more information
The full BLS report can be found online at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.toc.htm
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In 2006, 12 percent of employed wage and salary workers were union members, down from 12.5 percent a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Labor\’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. The number of people belonging to unions fell by 326,000 in 2006 to 15.4 million.
In Minnesota, the number of union members rose from 392,000 in 2005 to 395,000 last year. The percentage of union members in the workforce rose slightly from 15.7 percent to 16 percent.
The number of workers actually represented by unions in Minnesota is higher – 16.8 percent – because public sector labor law and some union contracts allow workers to enjoy the benefits of a union contract without joining the union.
In the mid-1950s, organized labor represented 35 percent of the U.S. workforce. But the percentage has declined steadily in recent decades, due in part to outsourcing of traditionally union manufacturing jobs, the failure of unions to organize new industries and ferocious – and often illegal – employer opposition.
A recent report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that one out of every five workers who tries to organize a union is fired. (Click here to read about the report). It is illegal under the National Labor Relations Act to fire workers for union activism, but the penalties are slight. Unions are hoping the new Democratic majority in Congress will pass the Employee Free Choice Act, making it easier for workers to join unions and punishing employers who violate worker rights.
In its latest report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that workers in the public sector had a union membership rate of 36.2 percent, nearly five times that of private sector workers. One reason is that government is less likely to engage in the illegal tactics that private employers use to stop unionization.
Nationwide, education, training and library occupations had the highest unionization rate among all occupations – 37 percent. Among major private industries, transportation and utilities had the highest union membership rate (23.2 percent), followed by construction (13 percent). Within the information industry, telecommunications had a 20.7 percent union membership rate. Financial activities had the lowest unionization rate in 2006 – 1.9 percent.
In 2006, the union membership rate was higher for men (13.0 percent) than for women (10.9 percent). Black workers were more likely to be union members (14.5 percent) than were whites (11.7 percent), Asians (10.4 percent), or Hispanics (9.8 percent). Among age groups, union membership rates were highest among workers 45 to 64 years old (16.0 percent) and were lowest among those ages 16 to 24 (4.4 percent).
Full-time workers were more than twice as likely as part-time workers to be union members, 13.1 and 6.3 percent, respectively.
Among states, Hawaii (24.7 percent), New York (24.4 percent), Alaska (22.2 percent) and New Jersey (20.1 percent) had the highest union membership rates. North Carolina and South Carolina posted the lowest rates (3.3 percent each).
Minnesota ranked eighth in union membership rates among all the states.
For more information
The full BLS report can be found online at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.toc.htm