Across the country, more workers are forming unions than ever before - in fact, nearly a quarter of all American workers that formed unions in the last year joined SEIU. Our members know that by working together, we can improve both the quality of services we provide and the communities in which we live.

Here's a snapshot of the "union difference" across the American workforce, highlighting facts from research recently conducted by the Center for American Progress, The Bureau of Labor Statistics, UC Berkeley Labor Center, Labor Project for Working Families and the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

13.7 percent of all U.S. workers are unionized--up from 13.4 percent in 2007.

In 2008, nearly half a million workers joined unions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the largest on record increase since 1983, the first year of comparable data.

Salary and Benefit Difference Between Unionized and Non-Unionized Workers

In nearly every occupational category among full-time wage and salary workers, union members earn more than non-union workers. By comparing the wages of workers within occupational groups, the union difference is clear. For example, for workers employed in the public sector, the difference in salary amounts to roughly $150 more a week--approximately $600 more a month--for union vs. non-union.

The overall averages are even more striking. Between 2004 and 2007, unionized worker wages were an average of 11.3 percentage points higher ($2.26 more an hour) than non-unionized workers. Among full-time wage and salary workers in 2008, union members had median weekly earnings of $886, while those who were not represented by unions had median weekly earnings of $691. That's a monthly difference in salary of nearly $800 for union members vs. non-union.

Healthcare

Union workers nationwide are:

• 28.2 percent more likely to be covered by employer-provided health insurance
• 53.9 percent more likely to have employer-provided pensions.
• Companies with 30 percent or more unionized workers are five times as likely to have their entire family health insurance premium paid for in comparison to companies with no unionized workers. Even when unionized employees are required to pay part of their family insurance premium, they pay a much lower share of the premium than do non-unionized workers.
• 46 percent of unionized workers receive full pay while on sick leave, versus only 29 percent of non-union workers.

Women

• Make up 45 percent of union workers--and by 2020, women will be the majority of the unionized workforce.
• Unionization raises female workers' wages by $2.00/hour (or 11.2 percent)
• 19 percent more likely to have employer paid health insurance (joining a union has a much larger effect on a woman's probability of having health insurance than a four-year college degree (8.4 percent increase).
• 24.7 percent more likely to have pension.

Low-wage Workers

• Unionization raises the wages of the typical low-wage worker (one in the 10th percentile) by 20.6 percent.

Latinos

• 10.7 percent of unionized workers are Latino (up from 9.8% in 2007)
• Latinos represent the largest growth rate of unionized workers--in 2008, more than 140,000 Hispanics became union members.
• Unionization raises Latino workers' wages by $2.60/hour (17.1 percent)
• 26 percent more likely to have employer paid health insurance
• 27 percent more likely to have pension
• Low-wage Latinos who belong to a union are 41 percent more likely to have employer-paid health insurance

African Americans

• 54 percent of all full-time Black workers in the United States receive low wages, working for $12.87 an hour or less
• Unionization raises African American workers' wages by $2.00/hour (11.2 percent)

Without Unions, Wages Haven't Come Close to Keeping up with Productivity or Inflation

Prior to the 1980s, productivity gains and workers' wages moved in tandem. But from 1980 to 2008, nationwide worker productivity grew by 75.0 percent, while workers' inflation-adjusted average wages increased by only 22.6 percent--which means that workers were compensated for only 30.2 percent of their productivity gains.

If American workers were rewarded for 100 percent of their increases in labor productivity between 1980 and 2008, as they were during the middle part of the 20th century, average wages would be $28.53 per hour--42.7 percent higher than the average real wage in 2008.

Following the announcement last month from over a dozen national women's organizations in support of the Employee Free Choice Act, women across the country are standing up for the legislation.

Today, Linda Meric, the executive director of 9 to 5, the National Association of Working Women, tells the Denver Post why low-wage women in particular should support the Employee Free Choice Act.

And in Maine, three female workers--a telephone repair technician, a technologies worker, and an electrician-- talk about the benefits they get from being in a union, noting that many who would like to join aren't so lucky:

We were lucky enough to come into jobs that were already union. Millions of workers who would like to form a union and have the same rights and benefits we do are currently denied a fair opportunity by our broken, company-dominated labor law system. When private sector workers try to organize, they regularly face intimidation, harassment and an outdated set of rules that do not protect their right to organize. We want to see our labor laws updated so that workers can freely and fairly form their own organization and their rights are protected.

A recent study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research demonstrated the clear cut union advantage for women.

• Unionization raises the probability of a woman having a pension (24.7 percent) and having employer-provided health insurance (19 percent)
  
• Joining a union raises the amount women workers earn by 11.2 percent more than their non-union peers.
  
• Among women workers in the 15 lowest-paying occupations, the benefits are even greater, with female union members earning 14 percent more than those workers who were not in unions.

A letter from 14 women's organizations in support of Employee Free Choice was sent last month to Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. For a listing of of the organizations involved, click here.

Today, a new UC Berkeley report was released advance, granting further proof that the "union advantage" is substantial. The report, authored by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education and the Labor Project for Working Families, found that companies with more unionized workers are more likely to pay for family health insurance premiums, embrace paid leave, and allow the use of personal leave to care for a sick child.

The economic crisis our nation is experiencing has been particularly devastating for workers, giving the need to pass legislation that will help ease the burden on working families a renewed urgency. Our economy is going full-throttle down a devastating path that's shrinking the middle class--but unions can help. Why? It's simple - unions raise wages and benefits for all workers, reduce worker turnover, protect our retirement, and lift up the economy by increasing the purchasing power of hard-working Americans.

"Today's report underscores that, at a time when many greedy corporations are cruelly cutting wages, healthcare and retirement security, unionized workplaces continue to promote family-friendly policies that build a strong middle-class," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger.

A few of the report's key findings:

Study authors Jenifer MacGillvary of the Labor Center at the University of California-Berkeley and Netsy Firestein of the Labor Project for Working Families also note union members are more likely to have access to resources like child care referrals, education assistance, vacation days and wellness programs. "As a mother, I know that millions of women struggle to raise a healthy, happy family while their employers refuse to allow them to care for a sick child, or to provide affordable healthcare," said Anna Burger. "Passing the Employee Free Choice Act, critical legislation that would allow workers to bargain with their employers for better wages and benefits, would have ripple effects across the economy."

No matter what else we do to turn around America's economy and rebuild the middle class, we will not have broadly shared prosperity until we restore workers' free choice to bargain with their companies for a better life--without corporate intimidation. Read the full report: "Family-Friendly Workplaces: Do Unions Make a Difference?"

Southside small business, workers, veterans and faith leaders show need for the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform

On Thursday, May 28, members of the Martinsville community joined together to show broad support for the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform. Martinsville has been hit hard by the recession, with 20% unemployment and health care coverage increasingly unaffordable. Against this community backdrop, Virginia Change that Works released a new report that detailing the urgent need for labor and health care reform in Virginia.

Martinsville small business owner Tony Millner said, "Now is the time to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. Southside is hurting, and in this economy, giving workers the chance to level the playing field is exactly the right thing to do. It's time to create an economy where businesses succeed because they make great products, not because they pay their employees the least." A recent study by the Center for American Progress found that if only 5% more of Virginia's workers were union members, it would pump $947 million into the state's economy.

Martinsville resident Mary Minter spoke about her experience as she and other workers faced severe obstacles to joining a union. Additionally she said, "I am a union member, and if more workers had the chance to form a union, Southside would be better off. We are only going to turn this economy around if people are able to feel secure in their jobs, if they have enough money to pay the bills and spend more in stores around town."

Securing a fair contract in a reasonable amount of time is one of the basic principles of the Employee Free Choice Act. The report released in Martinsville shows that 47 percent of Virginia workers who form a union are unable to get a first contract. For those who do secure a contract, it took an average of 314 days between filing the election and a conclusion of the election process.

Southside residents also see the value of health care reform as health insurance premiums in Virginia increased by 82.5 percent from 2000 to 2007. Martinsville veteran Roy Carter said, "We can't afford to wait for health care reform. Veterans are having a hard time finding good jobs and getting affordable health coverage." Comprehensive health care reform, including a public insurance option, will save every individual over $7,000 in premium and out of pocket expenses over the next 10 years.

If you want quality care, make home care work a quality job

Last week, home care workers in Ontario voted in favor of joining SEIU. In a vote held by the Ontario Labour Relations Board, personal support workers employed by the Victorian Order of Nurses in Brampton and Mississauga voted 83 percent in favor of joining SEIU Local 1 Canada. This past Monday, more good news raising the quality of life for home care aides broke, as 780 home care workers from Addus Healthcare became the first long term care workers to join SEIU Local 1107. They are the latest workers, along with those joining Local 1 Canada, to join SEIU in their growing campaign to raise standards and improve the quality of home care across North America.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one of the fastest growing areas in health care is home health aides. But dedicated home care providers are frustrated by a system that often does not pay a living wage or offer health benefits. In 2008, a full-time home health aide made an average of $14,000. Thirty-six percent of home health aides in this country are uninsured and forty-five percent live below the federal poverty level income.

"Unions and Upward Mobility for Service-Sector Employees," a new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) shows that nationally, unionization raises service workers' pay 10.1 percent (about $2.00 per hour), compared to non-union service workers, and increases the likelihood that the worker will have health insurance and a pension. Service sector jobs include healthcare and food service workers, housekeepers, janitors and childcare providers.

The vast majority of jobs in this country are now in the service sector, and data from this study demonstrates that service sector workers reap benefits as much from unionization as workers in manufacturing do. In Pennsylvania, for example, more than 77 percent of the workforce is in service-sector jobs, and the unionization rate in those jobs is 14.7 percent. The average wage for unionized workers in the service sector in PA is $19.31, while for non-union members it is $14.27.

The impact of unions in low-wage occupations was even more significant. For workers in the 15 lowest-paying occupations, union membership raised wages by 15.5 percent. The likelihood of having health insurance increased by about 26 percentage points, and the likelihood of having an employer-sponsored pension increased by roughly 23 percentage points.

"Unions give the biggest boost to workers in low-paying occupations because these are the workers that have the least bargaining power in the labor market," said John Schmitt, a Senior Economist at CEPR. "Unionization can turn what would otherwise be low-paying jobs with no benefits into middle-class jobs."

Read the full study here.

Following several decades of decline, the first increase in union membership in a quarter of a century was recorded in 2007, with women accounting for almost two-thirds of new union members. Women make up roughly 45 percent of union members--and by 2020, women will be the majority of the unionized workforce.

Millions of female workers are getting the squeeze in today's economy. Even as women break the glass ceiling in business and politics, they still earn on average, 78 cents to every dollar earned by men--and unions are a big part of the solution. Women have a great deal to gain from unionization, with union victories working to pave the way for workers to bargain for affordable family health care, fair wages, improved working conditions, and a better life for their families. Did you know that...

• Unionization raises the probability of a woman having a pension (24.7 percent) and having employer-provided health insurance (19 percent)
  
• Joining a union raises the amount women workers earn by 11.2 percent more than their non-union peers.
  
• Among women workers in the 15 lowest-paying occupations, the benefits are even greater, with female union members earning 14 percent more than those workers who were not in unions.

Watch SEIU's video tribute to Women's History Month here:

The Employee Free Choice Act could make an even greater difference in the lives of women. "What EFCA means is that women workers and particularly women workers of color, who are of the worst economic situation in this country, can finally move out of the worst jobs and the worst working conditions and into the kind of jobs which would allow them to support a family, buy a home, send their kids to college," says Cornell labor specialist Kate Bronfenbrenner.

Even a modest increase in Nebraska's union membership could pump $176 million back into working families' pockets, finds a new report from the Center for American Progress.

The report, which examines the effect of union membership on state economies, finds that decreased union membership has encouraged a sharp growth in income inequality and helped contribute to the current economic crisis. In Nebraska, union workers earn an average of 13.7% more than their non-union counterparts - increased wages that result in increased spending, increased spending that results in more sales and more services and more jobs and ultimately strengthens the state's economy as a whole.

All day Tuesday, workers from more than 30 states and a number of unions were on the Hill to lobby their own Members of Congress on the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act.. The workers related their personal stories of being fired or harassed when they attempted to form a union, and several workers participated in a hearing from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee on the importance of unions in restoring the middle class.

Among the witnesses called to testify before Congress was SEIU 32BJ member Kelly Badillo, who told the committee the devastating experience of what it was like to be working in the north tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 when the planes hit. Badillo related how his union helped him and his family get back on their feet in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 tragedy, when while living with the terror of the attack, he also had to worry where his next paycheck was going to come from:

"Two thousand, seven hundred and fifty people lost their lives, including forty-seven SEIU members. Many thousands more lost their jobs. More than twelve hundred 32BJ members - cleaners, security officers, building maintenance, window washers and elevator operators like me were suddenly trying to live on unemployment.

One week later, I got a call from my union. They asked me to come to our union hall and meet with my employer, American Building Maintenance. There were more than 800 other members there when I arrived.

Working together, my union and my employer agreed to:

* $130 per week in supplemental unemployment.
* Continued health insurance for us and our families.
* We kept our pensions.
* The Green Cross was in our union hall everyday to help us deal with our loss and the psychological effects of September 11."

And a little over four months later, ABA called back with a way to get Badillo and others back to work. Additionally, workers close to retiring had five years added to their years of service and age.

"My story exemplifies that businesses and unions can work together for the benefit of hardworking Americans like me. My daughters are grown and have jobs of their own, but I can only hope they can enjoy a strong voice on the workplace like I have had," said Badillo.

The New York Times tells the story of Badillo's experience in a piece written in September 2001 - read it here.

>> Kelly Badillo's entire testimony here.

The Employee Free Choice Act, the legislation supported by President Obama and large majorities of both houses of congress WILL NOT ELIMINATE SECRET BALLOTS IN UNION REPRESENTATION ELECTIONS (PERIOD).

Opponents like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a range of right-wing front groups led by disciples of George W. Bush, Karl Rove, and Grover Norquist -- the folks who got the country in the mess we're in right now -- want to try to make this a debate about "secret ballots." They cry crocodile tears for workers they claim are being denied their American rights to a democratic election. But, the fact is, the Employee Free Choice Act is democratic - and it puts the choice of how workers form unions in workers' hands, not big corporations - and that's why these guys are really crying.

Let's look at how union representation elections are currently conducted, and how the deck is stacked against workers in winning the right to unite together into a union. Anyone who thinks this is a fair and democratic process has obviously never been involved in it.

Senator John Kerry writes an op-ed this weekend in The Herald News on the Employee Free Choice Act; legislation he has strongly supported since 2007. He begins his opinion piece with a strong defense of unions and their value to the US economy, while adding in a full frontal assault on the Big Business interests that are actively trying to
prevent American workers from having rights and prosperity.

"Workers in unions earn 30 percent higher wages on average, and are 60 percent more likely to have employer-covered health insurance. The question is what we will do to empower workers in this new century -- and it should begin with The Employee Free Choice Act's common sense, fundamentally fair mission of making it easier for men and women to join a union in their workplace.

[...] "Powerful, entrenched opponents of the legislation have made a variety of false statements, arguing that the bill will take away workers' right to a secret ballot election, expose workers to intimidation and harassment or hurt the economy. These arguments are untrue and especially dubious because they have no reliable data to back them up. Too often, these objections come from the same people and groups that have enriched and protected Wall Street over Main Street -- among them those who opposed ideas like minimum wage increases and family medical leave, which history has proven are mainstream, commonsense policies."

Following Friday's unveiling of the Middle Class Working Families Task Force, Obama delivered his most emphatic public remarks on his support for labor unions, saying, "I don't see organized labor as part of the problem...To me, it's part of the solution" and later, "You cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor union."

TPM Cafe's Nathan Newman drives the point home: "We have not had a President that so forthrightly identified the health of the nation with the health of the labor movement in many decades." Harold Meyerson also comments on the significance of President Obama's remarks over at American Prospect, saying,"But it's not just the historical accuracy of Obama's remarks that is notable, however much they represent a departure from the practice of his predecessor. What's really notable here is that Obama is publicly, as president, laying the basis for his case for the Employee Free Choice Act."

Here are a few more notable quotes from past Presidents who spoke of the true merit of labor for our nation's prosperity:

"Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed."

"If a man tells you he loves America, yet hates labor, he is a liar!"
- Abe Lincoln

"The American labor movement has consistently demonstrated its devotion to the public interest. It is, and has been, good for all America."
- John F. Kennedy

"If I were a worker in a factory the first thing I'd do is join a union."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Only a fool would try to deprive working men and working women of the right to join the union of their choice."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Every advance in this half-century: Social Security, civil rights, Medicare, aid to education... one after another- came with the support and leadership of American Labor."
- Jimmy Carter

As the new administration and Congress works to lift the U.S. economy out of the economic crisis, we've been working on some analyses on how our country has recovered economically since the 1940's.

What we've found isn't much of a surprise, and it makes sense: economic success occurs when rising wages spur consumer spending.

That's exactly what the Employee Free Choice Act is designed to deliver, and the legislation will play a central role in building a strong middle class that will usher in the next era of American economic strength and prosperity.

New research makes a solid case as to why the Employee Free Choice Act would be a "stimulus" that gets our economy back on track. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that if 5 million service workers join unions:

• 5 million workers would get a 22 percent raise on average, or an additional $7,000 a year;
• $34 billion in total new wages would flow into the economy;
• 900,000 jobs would be lifted above the poverty wage for a family of four ($10.22/hr); and
• Between 1.8 million and 3 million dependent children would share in these benefits.
• The economic impact on individuals would be about four times as large as the recent federal minimum wage increase, and allow nearly six times more in new wages to flow into the economy.

We know you feel the economic squeeze - but have you heard of these facts and figures?

• Wages are stagnant. Worker wages have increased just 0.2 percent from March 2001 to September 2008.
• Real median household income was $1,175 less in 2007 than it was in 2000, while each family spent more than $4,600 more for basic expenses (e.g. gas, mortgage, food, and healthcare).
• Faced with this reality, average Americans have taken on increasing debt to maintain living standards.
• Household debt hit record levels in 2007, averaging 129 percent of disposable income.
• Meanwhile, the average CEO pay has risen: CEO pay has skyrocketed from 27 times more than the worker wages in 1973 to 344 times higher today.

In the past, the growth of unions have helped the economy dramatically:

• One-third of all American workers joined unions and shared in economic progress between 1947 and the early 1970s, one of the most prosperous periods in U.S. history.
• Between 1947 and 1973, median family income more than doubled, productivity grew 2.9 percent a year, America's economic output nearly tripled and income inequality declined.

And here's what we know about unionized workers today:

• Workers in unions earn 14 percent higher wages than workers who are not, are 28 percent more likely to have health insurance, and 54 percent more likely to have a pension.
• The economic advantage for workers of color is even greater. African American workers in unions earn 18 percent more than their nonunion counterparts, while Latinos earn 22 percent more.
• Unions help all workers, not just union members, as nonunion employers often attempt to match union pay and benefits to help recruit employees.

And there you have it: a simple economic argument on why the Employee Free Choice Act is vital in today's economy.

You can read about all of our facts and figures in this report below, entitled "Path to Prosperity."

Path to Prosperity

BNA Daily Labor Report
December 3, 2008

In a statement, the Service Employees International Union pointed to CEPR's study as "evidence of why it's so important for working women, and others, to have the freedom to join unions."

Some great news for working women came out today. A new study shows that joining a union raises a woman's wages and benefits on par with having a college education.

The report, "Unions and Upward Mobility for Women Workers," found that unionized women workers earned, on average, 11.2 percent more than their non-union peers. In addition, women in unions were much more likely to have health insurance benefits and a pension plan.

"For women, joining a union makes as much sense as going to college," said John Schmitt, a Senior Economist at CEPR and the author of the study. "All else equal, joining a union raises a woman's wage as much as a full-year of college, and a union raises the chances a woman has health insurance by more than earning a four-year college degree."

This is really quite important, especially in tough economic times. We need working people to have higher wages and better benefits to help get our economy going again. Now we have evidence that joining a union can be as helpful for women as going to college.

The stats also show why it's important Congress takes up & passes the Employee Free Choice Act early in 2009. The Employee Free Choice Act gives workers the free choice to join unions and the chance to bargain for better wages, benefits, and retirement security. Passing the Employee Free Choice Act can result in real wage increases for millions of women and will help get our economy going again.

It's time our economy worked for everyone again. It's time for the Employee Free Choice Act.