Labor unions in the United States

Labor unions in the United States

Hotel union workers strike with the slogan "One job should be enough"
National organization(s)	AFL–CIO, SOC, IWW
Regulatory authority	United States Department of Labor National Labor Relations Board
Primary legislation	National Labor Relations Act Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 Taft–Hartley Act
Total union membership	14.3 million (2022)[1]
Percentage of workforce unionized	10.1% (2022) Public: 33.1% Private: 6.0%
International Labour Organization
United States is a member of the ILO
Convention ratification
Freedom of Association	Not ratified
Right to Organise	Not ratified

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Labor unions represent United States workers in many industries recognized under US labor law since the 1935 enactment of the National Labor Relations Act. Their activity today centers on collective bargaining over wages, benefits, and working conditions for their membership, and on representing their members in disputes with management over violations of contract provisions. Larger labor unions also typically engage in lobbying activities and electioneering at the state and federal level.

Most unions in the United States are aligned with one of two larger umbrella organizations: the AFL–CIO created in 1955, and the Change to Win Federation (current Strategic Organizing Center) (SOC) which split from the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) in 2005. Both advocate policies and legislation on behalf of workers in the United States and Canada, and take an active role in politics. The AFL–CIO is especially concerned with global trade issues.

The percentage of workers belonging to a union (or total labor union "density") varies by country. In 2022 it was 10.1% in the United States, compared to 20.1% in 1983.^[2][3] There were 14.3 million members in the U.S. in 2022, down from 17.7 million in 1983.^[2][3] Union membership in the private sector has fallen to 6.0%, one fifth that of public sector workers, at 33.1% (2022).^[2][3] From a global perspective, in 2016 the US had the fifth lowest labor union density of the 36 OECD member nations.^[4][5]

In the 21st century, the most prominent unions are among public sector employees such as city employees, government workers, teachers and police. Members of unions are disproportionately older, male, and residents of the Northeast, the Midwest, and California.^[6] There is a substantial wage gap between union and nonunion workers in the U.S.; unionized workers average higher pay than comparable nonunion workers (when controlling for individual, job, and labor market characteristics); research shows that the union wage gaps are higher in the private sector than in the public sector, and higher for men than women.^[7] Private-sector union strength positively affects the wages of nonunion private-sector wages" (when controlling for background conditions, such as industry, the automation risk, offshoring, public-sector union strength, overall employment levels, and other factors); this is called the union spillover effect.^[8]

Although much smaller compared to their peak membership in the 1950s, American unions remain a political factor, both through mobilization of their own memberships and through coalitions with like-minded activist organizations around issues such as immigrant rights, environmental protections, trade policy, health care, and living wage campaigns.^[9] Of special concern are efforts by cities and states to reduce the pension obligations owed to unionized workers who retire in the future.^[10] A study of U.S. elections from 1964 to 2004 found that unions increase voter turnout of both members and nonmembers.^[11] Labor unions have a longstanding alliance with the Democratic Party, and union members make up an important part of the party's base.^[12] By contrast, the Republican Party has opposed unions and championed various anti-union policies, such as the adoption of right-to-work laws, restrictions on public-sector union collective bargaining, the repeal of prevailing wage laws, and preemption of local minimum wage laws.^[13][14]

There is substantial evidence that labor unions reduce economic inequality.^[15][16] Research suggests that rising income inequality in the United States is partially attributable to the decline of the labor movement and union membership,^{[17][18][19]: 1} and that this is not only a correlation.^[20] Research has also found that unions can harm profitability, employment and business growth rates.^[21][22]