What Is a Union?
Labor unions are made up of working people working together to solve problems, build stronger workplaces and give working families a real voice. Unions give workers a voice on the job about safety, security, pay, benefits—and about the best ways to get the work done. Union workers earn 30 percent more each week than nonunion workers and are much more likely to have health and pension benefits. Unions give working people a voice in government. They represent working families before lawmakers, and make sure politicians never forget that working families voted them into office.
Union members earn better wages and benefits than workers who aren’t union members. On average, union workers’ wages are 30% higher than their nonunion counterparts. While only 14% of nonunion workers have guaranteed pensions, fully 68% of union workers do. More than 97% of union workers have jobs that provide health insurance benefits, but only 85% of nonunion workers do. Unions help employers create a more stable, productive workforce—where workers have a say in improving their jobs.
Communities benefit when workers have a voice on the job
Studies show that states in which more people are union members are states with higher wages, better benefits and better schools. While unions are just one of the factors that affect the quality of living, the pattern indicates that when workers have a voice, everyone in the community benefits—not just union members.
Ten states with strongest unions (based on percentage of the workforce with a union) are Hawaii, New York, Alaska, New Jersey, Washington State, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, California and Connecticut.
Ten states with weakest unions (based on percentage of the workforce with a union) are North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Utah, Mississippi and South Dakota.
| |
Ten States Where Unions Are Strongest |
Ten States Where Unions Are Weakest |
| Average Hourly Manufacturing Earnings, 20051 |
$17.01 |
$14.39 |
|
Median Household Income, 20052 |
$53,380 |
$43,204 |
| Percent of Population With No Medical Insurance, 20053 |
13.4% |
17.5% |
| Workplace Fatalities Per 100,000 Employees, 20044 |
4.0 |
5.2 |
|
Public Education Spending Per Pupil, 2005-20065 |
$10,507 |
$7,580 |
| Percent of Eligible Voters Who Voted in Presidential Election, 20046 |
60.8% |
55.0% |
| Crimes Per 100,000 Population, 20047 |
3,715 |
4,168 |
| Percent of Population in Poverty, 20058 |
10.4% |
13.4% |
|
Sources:
1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
2U.S. Census Bureau
3U.S. Census Bureau
4BLS, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2004
5National Education Association, Rankings and Estimates—Rankings of the States 2005 and Estimates of School Statistics, 2006, November 2006.
6Fair Vote, the Center for Voting and Democracy. Committee for the Study of the American Electorate
7Kathleen O’Leary Morgan and Scott Morgan, State Rankings 2006, Morgan Quitno Press, 2006.
8U.S. Census Bureau |
