Union Rates Increasing
Posted by Michael Link on January 25, 2008 at 05:38 PM
It's the first time membership in unions, as a percentage of workers, has increased in a quarter of a century.
There's a lot of interesting information in this new report:
Construction unions increased their membership faster than the rate of job growth in that industry, with membership jumping from 13.0 percent in 2006 to 13.9 percent in 2007. Membership in the private health and education sectors grew from 8.3 percent to 8.8 percent. Unions also made headway in the low-paying retail industry, increasing membership rates from 5.0 percent to 5.2 percent.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time union members "had median usual weekly earnings of $863 while those who were not represented by unions had median weekly earnings of $663."
It's not all good news, however; the manufacturing industry lost unionized jobs at a faster pace than other manufacturing jobs. While unionization grew in the Northeast, it fell in the Midwestern states.
Comments (2) «
Michael,
Thanks for this one. Unions have been taking a beating in this country for the past 4 decades. I personally believe, that it is because unionism in our country, that we have the great consumer middle class here in America.
Benefits that workers take for granted everyday, come to them as a gift from the american labor movement. I believe that many of those that enjoy those benefits and protections have become complacent. The unions did such a good job, their members don't need to fight anymore.
I emplore all in the movement, stand up and fight the oppression, remember your roots, and please Buy American!
That's the view from the cheap seats,
Steve
Unfortunately for us the DNC has fallen right into the trap set by the Republican dominated legislature in Florida. They moved up our primary dates anticipating the DNC response of minimizing our state and taking away the delegates. They were intending to get a head start in Florida during the primary campaigns and they have suceeded. We had a great chance to turn the state around and win this important swing state in the general, but I fear we have lost due to the DNC shortsightedness in falling for the trap.
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