Union card is still a worker’s best investment
additional 1.5 million people were rep-
Forget the lottery or stock market.
resented by a union, but were not
Carrying a union card is still the best
members.
investment a worker can make, ac-
Last year, women union members’
cording to the latest figures released
by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. numbers grew by 222,000. The per-
centage of female union members rose
The median weekly earnings of
to 11.3 per-
full-time union
cent in 2005
members in 2005
was $801 — about The median weekly earnings from 11.1
percent,
29 percent more
than nonunion
of full-time union members while male
union mem-
workers’ pay
bership fell
($622). The differ- in 2005 was $801 —about
ence was even
29 percent more than non- to 13.5 per-
cent of work-
greater among His-
ers from 13.8
panic union work- union workers’ pay ($622).
percent.
ers ($713), who
In the pri-
made 50 percent
more than Hispanic nonunion workers. vate-sector, unionists were 7.8 percent
And BLS figures show the increase of the workforce, while in the public-
sector, workers made up 36.8 percent.
in union members’ wages last year
In Oregon, union membership was
was nearly double that of the nonunion
213,000, down 11,000 from 2004.
— 2.6 percent compared to only 1.6
Union members made up 14.5 percent
percent for nonunion workers.
of the state’s workforce. BLS said an
On top of that, a March 2005 Na-
additional 18,000 workers were repre-
tional Compensation Survey shows
sented by a union, but weren’t mem-
that union workers enjoy better pen-
bers). These numbers continue a long-
sions, health and dental insurance,
term downward trend in “union
with less out-of-pocket costs.
density.” Comparatively, union work-
According to the government sur-
ers made up 22.3 percent (222,900) of
vey, 85 percent of union workers par-
the Oregon workforce in 1983, the first
ticipate in pension and health plans,
year that comparable data was avail-
compared to 46 percent of nonunion
able.
workers. Seventy-three percent of
Nationwide, in 1983 there were
union workers are offered a defined
pension plan by their employers, com- 17.7 million union members (20.1 per-
cent of the workforce).
pared to only 16 percent of the
In Washington State, the number of
nonunion.
union members climbed 13,000 to
As for out-of-pocket expenses for
523,000, but overall union density
family health insurance premiums,
dropped from 19.3 percent in 2004 to
nonunion workers pay twice as much
19.1 percent in 2005. The state added
as unionized workers — 16 percent of
more than 100,000 jobs last year.
the premium cost vs. 32 percent.
Washington continues to rank 6th
Workers are beginning to realize
highest in the nation in terms of the
the value of a union card, as member-
unionization rate. Only New York
ship grew nationally by 213,000 last
(26.1 percent). Hawaii (25.8 percent),
year (the first increase since 1999).
Alaska (22.8 percent), Michigan and
Still, the percentage of union workers
New Jersey (20.5 percent each) have
remained flat at 12.5 percent — or
higher rates. Oregon ranked 14th na-
15.7 million members. BLS said an
Q
}
BENNETT HARTMAN
MORRIS & KAPLAN, LLP
Attorneys at Law
• Personal Injury • Labor
•Workers’ Compensation
• Employment • Domestic Relations
111 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 1650, Portland,
Oregon 97204
503 227-4600
Representing Unions and Workers Since 1960
(Our legal staff are proud members of UFCW Local 555)
THE UNION PLUS ® MORTGAGE PROGRAM
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• FREE Mortgage Assistance Benefit
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PAGE 8
The bill has 208 co-sponsors in the
House, including all 10 Democratic
U.S. representatives in Oregon and
Washington, and 42 co-sponsors in the
Senate, including the three Democratic
senators from Oregon and Washington.
Chase is backing union members with the Union Plus® Mortgage Program — a home
purchase and refinancing program exclusively for union members, their parents and children.
Serving Multi-Employer
Trusts for Twenty Years
www.QuestInvestment.com
workers sign cards authorizing union
representation. It also would provide
for mediation and arbitration of first-
contract disputes, and authorize
stronger penalties for violation of the
law when workers seek a union.
When it comes to mortgages, we’re
taking a stand for Union members.
Quest
Investment
Management, Inc.
Cam Johnson
Adrian Hamilton
Doug Goebel
tionwide.
The least-unionized states were
South Carolina (2.3 percent), North
Carolina (2.9 percent), Arkansas and
Virginia (3.3 percent each) and Utah
(3.9 percent).
Surveys by the national AFL-CIO
indicate that more than half of Ameri-
can workers (57 percent) say they
would join a union today if they could.
But workers who try often face an
array of employer tactics to suppress
their efforts. According to Cornell
University’s Kate Brofenbrenner, 25
percent of employers illegally fire
workers trying to unionize, 75 percent
hire outside consultants to run anti-
union campaigns, 92 percent force
workers to attend closed-door anti-
union meetings and, even when work-
ers are successful in forming a union,
in one-third of the instances, employ-
ers never negotiate a contract.
“In a political climate that’s hostile
to workers’ rights, these numbers illus-
trate the extraordinary will of workers
to gain a voice on the job despite enor-
mous obstacles,” said AFL-CIO Presi-
dent John Sweeney.
At the AFL-CIO’s request, mem-
bers of Congress last year introduced
the Employee Free Choice Act. The
legislation would require employers to
recognize a union after a majority of
Union Plus is a registered trademark of Union Privilege. Eligibility for mortgage assistance begins one year after closing on a Union Plus Mortgage through Chase
Home Finance. This offer may not be combined with any other promotional offer or rebate, is not transferable, and is available to bona fide members of participating
unions. For down payments of less than 20%, mortgage insurance (MI) is required and MI charges apply. All loans are subject to credit and property approval. Program
terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Not all products are available in all states or for all loan amounts. Other restrictions and limitations apply.
©2005 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All Rights Reserved. P-UP 104 2A-7604 10/05
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
FEBRUARY 3, 2006