Next time you see a fellow union member, take a second to high-five and celebrate the largest growth in membership in 28 years (links to outside website). Union membership in the United States increased to 15.7 million in 2007 – an increase of 311,000 members – making 2007 single-year increase in membership since 1979, according to a report (links to outside website) released last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These numbers are a reflection of workers' enthusiasm to unionize. According to research by Peter Hart Research Associates, more than half of all workers – (links to outside website) about 60 million people – say they would join a union today if given the chance. The BLS report shows that despite a lagging economy, executive salaries growing exponentially, (links to outside website) and a loss of more than 3 million jobs (links to outside website) due to the North American Free Trade Agreement, (links to outside website) American workers are willing to stand and fight. Service industry jobs reported the largest percentage of growth, specifically health services, which added 142,000 new members. Significant gains were also made among women and Latino workers. Women are exercising their voice in the workplace, accounting for more than 44 percent of union membership. And Latino workers are seeing the rewards of unionizing in the place it matters most – their wallets. Average weekly pay for unionized Latino workers was 51 percent more than their non-unionized counterparts. See the latest Union Leader article: Unions Gain Market Share (links to internalwebsite) The news is good, but not enough to rest and celebrate victory. Wondering what you can do? Contact your congressional representatives and press for the passing of the Employee Free Choice Act (links to internal website) which would reform broken labor laws and help restore the working class.

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American Union Ranks Grow After 'Bottoming Out'

First Significant Increase in 25 Years

January 29, 2009

Washington Post (links to outside website - complete article)

The percentage of American workers belonging to a union jumped in 2008, the first statistically significant increase in the 25 years that the figure has been reported, reversing a long decline in union membership.

In 2008, union members represented 12.4 percent of employed workers, up from 12.1 percent a year earlier, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued yesterday. Union membership had been falling since the 1950s, when members constituted as much as a third of the U.S. workforce.

Let's not spoil the rest of the story - click here to read the complete Washington Post article. (links to ouside website)