Since their peak in the 1950’s, union membership has been on the decline despite holding a majority of public support for their intended goals. NPR recently constructed a graphic which shows the changes in union membership across the United States from 1964 to 2014.
1964:
Image Credit: NPR/Quoctrung Bui
2014:
Image Credit: NPR/Quoctrung Bui
What is causing these steady declines?
Pew Research Center has been following these trends, and attributes the decline to many different factors, such as public opinion and the globalization of the U.S. economy:
“In a separate 2012 survey, 64% of Americans agreed that unions were necessary to protect working people (though 57% also agreed that unions had “too much power”).
The reasons for that decline are many and heatedly debated — from the impact of globalization on U.S. manufacturing to intense hostility from businesses to unions’ relative lack of success in organizing service- and information-industry workers.”
Currently Americans hold a 51% favorability rating towards unionization:
Image Credit: Pew Research
Another explanation for the decrease in union membership, despite a steady amount of support, could be due to the increase in Right-to-Work states.
Currently 24 states are considered “Right-to-Work” states, which means that they forbid the compulsive joining of a union as a requirement for employment:
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Right-to-Work” legislation allows new employees to decide for themselves if they wish to join a union and pay union dues upon being hired.
Although there is a frequent claim that the middle class wages are remaining stagnant due to the ever increasing number of states embracing “Right-to-Work” laws, the data shows that those who live in RTW states are actually seeing faster wage growth and more take home pay due to a lower cost of living.
In fact, private employment gains have grown at a faster pace in RTW states versus their non-RTW counterparts according to the Wall Street Journal:
“Meanwhile, private employment has grown 4.9% in right-to-work states over the past three years, versus 3.9% in other states, according to an analysis of Labor Department data. This disparity is particularly stark in the factory sector: Manufacturing employment has grown 4.1% in right-to-work states over the past three years, compared with less than 3% in other states.”
Though the stated goals of unionization tend to poll higher with Americans, the the politicization of unions and their effects on certain aspects of industry and job growth have taken their toll on membership.
Disclaimer: Author has previously worked for the National Right to Work Committee.
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