Union Membership Gives Strength in Numbers. All workers benefit from unions, because unions set pay standards and workplace protections. Union members — workers like you — benefit most from the union’s collective bargaining power to negotiate with employers on their behalf. This basic right gives you as a union member more power than if you tried to negotiate as an individual.
More benefits of union membership.
- Union employees make an average of 30% more than non-union workers.
- 92% of union workers have job-related health coverage versus 68% of non-union workers.
- Union workers are more likely to have guaranteed pensions than non-union employees.
Unions help protect employees from unjust dismissal through collective bargaining agreements (CBA). Because of this, most union employees cannot be fired without “just cause.” This is unlike many nonunion workers who are considered “at-will” employees and can be fired at any time for almost any reason.
Union members also benefit from having the collective power to go on strike. A strike is when a group of workers stops working either in protest of labor conditions or as a bargaining tool during labor/management negotiations.
Health Insurance
People in a union participating in job-provided health insurance: 79%
People without a union participating in job-provided health insurance: 49%
Pensions
People in a union participating in guaranteed (defined-benefit) pension plans: 76%
People without a union participating in guaranteed (defined-benefit) pension plans: 16%
Paid Sick Leave
People in a union with paid sick leave: 83%
People without a union with paid sick leave: 62%
Median Weekly Earnings
People with a union median weekly earnings: $980
People without a union median weekly earnings: $776
Black Working People
Black working people in a union median weekly earnings: $800
Black working people without a union median weekly earnings: $617
Latino Working People
Latino working people with a union median weekly earnings: $862
Latino working people without a union median weekly earnings: $586
Asian American Working People
Asian American working people with a union median weekly earnings: $1,094
Asian American working people without a union median weekly earnings: $977