Union Membership Dropped in 2009; Private Unions at All-Time Low

[Earth Bound Misfit]

http://workinprogress.firedoglake.com/2010/01/22/union-membership-dropped-in-2009-private-union-membership-at-all-time-low/

Some disturbing statistics on union membership in 2009 were released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today.

With the economy hemorrhaging jobs—more than 3.3 million jobs lost in 2009—the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show union membership in 2009 dropped slightly, from 12.4 percent of the workforce to 12.3 percent.

Nationwide, union membership dropped by 771,000, to 15.3 million in 2009, according to the BLS.

While the slight drop is concerning, the bad news is that private sector union membership is at an all-time low of 7.2%. As the Wall Street Journal notes, that’s a 10% drop in private sector union membership from last year.

Organized labor lost 10% of its members in the private sector last year, the largest decline in more than 25 years. The drop is on par with the decline in total employment but threatens to significantly limit labor’s ability to influence elections and legislation.

snip

Which brings us to the statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis in response to these numbers, in which Solis, for the first time outside of an address to union audiences as Secretary, publicizes her support for the Employee Free Choice Act.

As workers across the country have seen their real and nominal wages decline as a result of the recession, these numbers show a need for Congress to pass legislation to level the playing field to enable more American workers to access the benefits of union membership. This report makes clear why the administration supports the Employee Free Choice Act.

I can’t imagine the White House was too happy with her aside there, though it’s largely inconsequential at this point politically. She’s right, though. The only thing to stop the bleeding is the Employee Free Choice Act.
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R.I.P EFCA :grr:

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. Re-thinking school privatization would help also.

>>>>>I can’t imagine the White House was too happy with her aside there, though it’s largely inconsequential at this point politically. She’s right, though. The only thing to stop the bleeding is the Employee Free Choice Act.>>>>>>>


Privatizing public schools usually entails de-unionizing them.

[LWolf]

3. Race to the bottom is doing a good job of that.

:grr:

[asjr]

2. Union labor lost when so many of our

mfg. firms took the jobs overseas.