Union Membership in the US

AFL-CIO 13.5 million members (in 66 unions) 13.1% union density (16m members) Affiliates do Organizing and Bargaining

Union Members by Industry, 2001 Total Union Members 16, Agricultural Private Nonagricultural 9, Mining Construction 1, Manufacturing 2, Transportation 1, Communication, pub.util Wholesale Trade Retail Trade Finance, Ins., Real Estate Services 2, Government 7, Union Members (in thousands) Percentage of Union Membership Members as % of Wage & Salary Workers Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Earnings, January 2002.

Decline in Density 1955, 34% in unions in US 2000, 13% in unions in US Sharper decline in private sector 45% in 1955, 9% today Canada holds steady Source: Bureau of the Census, Historical Studies of the United States, Colonial Times to l970; Bureau of Labor, Handbook of labor Statistics Bulletin 2070, December 1980; and Bureau of labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings,January, various years, Union Density,

Why? Complacency Economic shift Anti-union forces Weak labor law

Unlike Western Europe No social dialogue No Works Councils Regulatory framework mandates worksite level bargaining Narrow scope of bargaining “mandatory issues” No social wage No industrial/sectoral jurisdictions Union shop

Weak Labor Law National Railway Labor Act (1929) National Labor Relations Act (1935) Taft-Hartley (1947) Landrum-Griffin (1959) Public Sector (1961/state laws)

Two Ways to Representation Card Check – preferred method NLRB Election

Freedom of Association Violations Reprisals for trying to organize Inadequate remedies Procedural delays Undermining the right to strike

Anti-union Messages Are dinosaurs Outside third party Are corrupt Take your money Violent Strikes Bad for business Force to move overseas

Employer Abuse $4 Billion Union Busting Industry NLRB remedial orders 1950’s -- hundreds/year ,000 orders 1990’s -- 20,000/year ,000 orders