Toolkit: Working with Labor: Why Unions? part 4

Why Unions? cont.

Unionized workers are more likely to have health and retirement benefits. In 1999, 73 percent of union workers in private industry had medical benefits, compared with only 51 percent of nonunion workers. Union workers also are more likely to have retirement and short-term disability benefits; 79 percent of union workers are covered by pension plans versus 44 percent of nonunion workers. However, beyond bread and butter issues, beyond the individual workplace, unions have a critical impact on the social policies that affect all of us. A popular bumper sticker says, “The Labor Movement - The Folks Who Brought You The Weekend.” And that’s just the beginning.

Unions were a major force in the fight for public education, for social security, for occupational safety and health legislation and a host of other social programs.
In the 2000 presidential elections, union households represented 30 percent of all the votes cast.
Unions have in recent years been at the forefront of recent attempts to advance citizenship opportunities and worker rights for immigrants.

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