F. Labor Groups

Overview

Union Membership

• BLS says the total number of union members in 2012 was 14.3 million, or 11.3% of the work force, the lowest level it’s been since 1916, when it was 11.2%.
• Private sector union membership peaked at around 35% in the 1950s and in 2012 had fallen to 6.6%. Union membership in the public sector was 35.9%. All told, there are 7.3 million public sector union members, vs. 7 million in the private sector.
• NC (2.9%) and AR (3.2%) had the lowest union membership in 2012, while NY (23.2%) and AK (22.4%) have the highest. 

Health Insurance Coverage

• According to the BLS report, “Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2009,” 92% of union workers had access to medical care benefits compared to 70% of non-union workers. Employers also pick up a higher share of premiums for unionized workers, covering 91% of the total premiums compared to 80% for non-unionized workers.

Links

• Center for Union Facts. The Center for Union Facts has gathered a wealth of information about the size, scope, political activities, and criminal activity of the labor movement in the United States of America.
• Schmoop. Has an extensive history of American labor unions.
• SBA.gov – Unions – This website provides information about employer responsibilities under theNational Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which defines the rights of employees to organize and to bargain collectively with their employers through representatives of their own choosing.
• Department of Labor (DOL) – Labor Unions – This page provides a shortcut to information and services the DOL offers labor unions.
• Employment Law Guide: Union Members – Information from the DOL regarding union laws, basic provisions/requirements, employee rights, penalties/sanctions, and more.
• UnionReports.gov – On this site, you can view and print reports filed by unions, union officers and employees, employers, and labor relations consultants for the year 2000 and after. You may also order reports for the year 1999 and prior, and search the union annual financial reports for the year 2000 and after.
• Union Elections – Information from DOL about the laws and regulations regarding the election of union officers.
• Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) – The OLMS of the DOL’s Employment Standards Administration administers and enforces most provisions of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA), which enforces basic standards of democracy and fiscal responsibility in labor unions.
• Unions for Single Payer