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When you are part of a union, you are protected against discrimination in all forms, including gender, sexual identity, religion, and others. Union members also enjoy protection over wages, benefits, and leave, as well as against unlawful termination, wage garnishment, and worker’s compensation.
- Background
- Methodology: How We Measure Union Density
- Economic Well-Being
- Personal Well-Being
- Democratic Well-Being
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgments
- References
A wealth of scholarship documents the positive effects unions have for workers, both those who are unionized and those who are not. We summarize these below. Higher wages and decreased income inequality.On average, a worker covered by a union contract earns 10.2% more in wages than a peer with similar education, occupation, and experience in a nonu...
First, a brief note on how we measure union density at the state level. In this report, we categorize union density as the share of workers in a state who are members of a union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Union density data are averaged across states from 2015 to 2019 to give a more accurate estimate of state unionization rate...
The first category of well-being we examine is economic well-being, broadly defined as working people having the means to support themselves. We look at the relationship between union density and three indicators related to economic security and stability: the minimum wage, median income, and the unemployment insurance (UI) recipiency rate. We find...
The second category of well-being we examine is personal well-being, which we define as an individual’s physical and mental health. Within the category of personal well-being, we look at three indicators: health care coverage, Medicaid expansion, and access to paid family and sick leave. As we demonstrate below, states with higher union density are...
The final category we examine is democratic well-being, specifically the right to vote. Recent sustained attacks on this fundamental right threaten to undermine democratic stability. We look at legislation restricting voting and find that there is a strong correlation between voting restrictions and low union density. The right to vote is a core te...
In this report, we have sought to demonstrate that the benefits of unionization extend far beyond the workplace. High union density is consistently associated with a much broader set of positive spillover effects across multiple dimensions. Not only do unions directly benefit the workers they represent, but their political advocacy helps to drive a...
The authors thank William E. Spriggs, whose research inspired this report; John Schmitt for his thoughtful input; and Daniel Perez for his research assistance.
A Better Balance. 2021. Overview of Paid Sick Time Laws in the United States. Updated October 18, 2021. AFL-CIO. 2021. “Labor Movement Condemns Georgia Republicans’ Outrageous Voter Suppression Law” (press release). March 26, 2021. Amick, Benjamin C., III, Sheilah Hogg-Johnson, Desiree Latour-Villamil, and Ron Saunders. 2015. “Protecting Constructi...
Mar 18, 2021 · In Ohio, 13.2% of workers are members of labor unions. Though union participation in the Buckeye State is down half a percentage point from a decade ago and is nearly half of what it was in the...
Union affiliation by U.S. state (2023) [1] [2] Rank State Percent union members Percent change Union members Percent represented by unions Percent change Represented
RankStatePercent Union MembersPercent Change123.42.2%220.60.1%316.51.5%416.11.2%In Union OH is a project of In Union USA and In Union USA Action supported by a group of unions. It provides you with readily available research on issues that affect working people’s lives, examines the records of elected officials on those issues, and helps hold the elected officials accountable.
Sep 4, 2023 · While the United States has seen a steady decline in union membership over the past 40 years, Ohio saw an increase in membership of around 50,000 in 2022 compared to 2021.
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As a union, we’re able to win improvements and higher standards in our workplaces, in our school districts, and in our communities. Our strength in numbers gives us the power to protect our rights and advocate for quality public education, higher education, and public services.
