The Union Difference
Union Advantage by the Numbers
Union workers earn higher wages and get more benefits than workers who don’t have a voice on the job with a union.
| Union workers’ median weekly earnings | $908 |
| Nonunion workers’ median weekly earnings | $710 |
| Union wage advantage | 28% |
| Union women’s median weekly earnings | $840 |
| Nonunion women’s median weekly earnings | $628 |
| Union wage advantage for women | 34% |
| African American union workers’ median weekly earnings | $749 |
| African American nonunion workers’ median weekly earnings | $581 |
| Union wage advantage for African Americans | 29% |
| Latino union workers’ median weekly earnings | $774 |
| Latino nonunion workers’ median weekly earnings | $516 |
| Union wage advantage for Latinos | 50% |
| Asian American union workers’ median weekly earnings | $907 |
| Asian American nonunion workers’ median weekly earnings | $870 |
| Union wage advantage for Asian Americans | 4% |
| Union workers covered by employer-provided health insurance | 78% |
| Nonunion workers covered by employer-provided health insurance | 51% |
| Union health insurance advantage | 53% |
| Union workers without health insurance coverage | 2.9% |
| Nonunion workers without health insurance coverage | 14.2% |
Nonunion workers five times more likely to lack health insurance coverage
| Union workers covered by guaranteed (defined-benefit) pensions | 77% |
| Nonunion workers covered by guaranteed (defined-benefit) pensions | 20% |
| Union pension advantage | 285% |
| Union workers with short-term disability benefits | 46% |
| Nonunion workers with short-term disability benefits | 34% |
| Union short-term disability benefits advantage | 35% |
| Union workers’ average days of paid vacation | 15 days |
| Nonunion workers’ average days of paid vacation | 11.75 days |
| Union paid vacation advantage | 28% |
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Union Members in 2009, Jan. 22, 2010; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in Private Industry in the United States, March 2009, September 2009; Employee Benefits Research Institute, EBRI Notes, October 2009.