How Unions Strengthen Communities and Democracy
According to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute, unions aren’t just good for members and their paychecks. They’re also good for communities as a whole, and even for democracy itself.
“Unions promote economic equality and build worker power, helping workers to win increases in pay, better benefits, and safer working conditions. But the benefits of unions extend far beyond the workplace,” said Asha Banerjee, economic analyst at EPI and co-author of the report. “The data suggest that unions also give workers a voice in shaping their communities and political representation.”
The study, released in December, documents the correlation between higher levels of unionization and a range of economic, personal and democratic well-being measures.
“In the same way unions give workers a voice at work, with a direct impact on wages and working conditions, the data suggest that unions also give workers a voice in shaping their communities. Where workers have this power, states have more equitable economic structures, social structures and democracies,” the authors wrote.
In terms of income and economic protections, the authors found that the 17 U.S. states with the highest union densities have minimum wages that are on average 19% higher than the national average and 40% higher than those in low-union-density states. They also have median annual incomes that are $6,000 higher than the national average.
