The Union Advantage

AFL-CIO - Union Advantage by the Numbers

This summary was obtained from the AFL-CIO and covers all workers in the United States. Union workers earn higher wages and get more benefits than workers who don’t have a voice on the job with a union.

Statistics are for Calendar Year 2006.

Union workers’ median weekly earnings			   	        $833
Nonunion workers’ median weekly earnings 				        $642
Union wage advantage 					              30%

Union women’s median weekly earnings 				        $758   
Nonunion women’s median weekly earnings 			                        $579
Union wage advantage for women 				              31%

African American union workers’ median weekly earnings 		        $707
African American nonunion workers’ median weekly earnings 		        $520
Union wage advantage for African Americans 			              36%

Latino union workers’ median weekly earnings			        $686
Latino nonunion workers’ median weekly earnings 			        $469
Union wage advantage for Latinos 				              46%

Asian American union workers’ median weekly earnings 		        $834
Asian American nonunion workers’ median weekly earnings 		        $774
Union wage advantage for Asian Americans 				               8%

Union workers with employer-provided health insurance 		        80%
Nonunion workers with employer-provided health insurance		        49%
Union health insurance advantage 				             63%

Union workers without health insurance coverage 			       2.5%
Nonunion workers without health insurance coverage 			        15%
Nonunion workers are five times more likely to lack health insurance coverage.

Union workers with guaranteed (defined-benefit) pensions 		        68%
Nonunion workers with guaranteed (defined-benefit) pensions 		        14%
Union pension advantage 					             386%

Union workers with short-term disability benefits			        62%
Nonunion workers with short-term disability benefits 			        35%
Union short-term disability benefits advantage 			            77%

Union workers’ average days of paid vacation  			        15 days
Nonunion workers’ average days of paid vacation 	 		       11.75 days
Union paid vacation advantage 					            28%

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Union Members in 2006, Jan. 25, 2007; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in Private Industry in the United States, March 2006, August 2006; Economic Policy Institute; Employee Benefit Research Institute, May 2005. The Union Difference

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