The Union Advantage in Pay and Benefits

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation -- June 2009"

Union workers earn more
Wages and benefits for the average union worker in the private sector totaled $36.85 per hour in June 2009, compared to $26.31 an hour for the typical non-union worker.

Wages and salaries higher for union workers …
In March, the average union worker in the private sector earned $22.91 per hour in wage and salary income, while the average non-union worker earned $18.98 per hour. That’s a union advantage of $3.93 per hour, or $8,174 per year for a full-time, full-year worker.

… But benefits are the biggest union advantage
Benefits, though, are where the biggest union advantage lies. The average union worker in the private sector receives $13.93 per hour toward their benefits package while their non-union counterpart receives only $7.33 per hour.

Retirement and health benefits more widespread for union workers
After years of service, workers deserve a secure retirement. Unfortunately, only 51 percent of non-union workers receive retirement benefits through their employer, through either a traditional pension or a 401(k) account. In stark contrast, 86 percent of union workers have employer-provided retirement benefits.

Only about half (52 percent) of non-union workers receive health care benefits through their employer. That compares with 79 percent of union workers.

Union advantage holds across occupations and industries
Blue-collar workers in manufacturing enjoy a substantial advantage from union representation – but so do workers in non-manufacturing settings. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report, “Union Members in 2008,” shows that the union advantage holds across occupations and industries.

For example, union workers in protective service jobs (such as security guards and corrections officers) earn $990 per week, compared with $620 for non-union workers. The union premium also exists in office and administrative support occupations where union workers earn $749 per week compared to $585 per week for non-union workers.

Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Union Members In 2008"

Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2008"

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2009"

If you are interested in organizing your workplace with the UAW, contact our Organizing Department or call 1-800 2GET-UAW (1-800-243-8829). You'll be connected to (or get a call back from) a UAW organizer who can answer questions and tell you what it takes to organize a union at your workplace. If you're in Canada, call 1-800-387-0538 to reach UAW Local 251, a Canadian UAW local union that helps Canadian workers organize.