Tripling US union membership would shift $1.2tn to workers annually – report
Summary
A new report says that if union membership in the US tripled, many workers would get paid more, with the median worker earning about 14.5% more. This change would shift $1.2 trillion annually to workers, reduce pay gaps between races, and improve worker benefits like health insurance.Key Facts
- Union membership in the US was over 30% in the 1950s but dropped to about 10% by 2025.
- Public support for unions remains strong, with 68% of Americans favoring them in 2025.
- Increasing union membership to 30% could raise the median worker's pay by $7,700 a year.
- This pay increase would total around $1.2 trillion per year shifted to workers.
- Higher union density would help reduce racial wage gaps and expand health insurance coverage.
- Declines in union membership have coincided with growing income and wealth inequality since 1979.
- Laws like the Protecting the Right to Organize Act could help increase union membership and improve workers’ collective bargaining rights.
- States with more union members tend to invest more in public education, Medicaid, and voting rights.
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