While women’s rights may be facing challenges in many areas of life they are definitely getting better in parts of the work world. The St. Louis Labor Tribune tells us more in this opinion piece, How union leaders are transforming women’s labor rights….
As women have gained greater representation in the workforce, they have also emerged as important Labor leaders. Women have been responsible for shaping Labor policies and advocating for the rights of all workers.
Labor unions raise wages and improve benefits for all represented workers, but this is especially true for women. Unionized women earn more – on average $212 or 30.9 percent more per week – and have higher rates of health insurance coverage than their non-unionized counterparts. Unions make this possible by bringing wage setting into the open and helping to ensure that employers determine wages based on criteria like skill level, effort and responsibilities.
The Labor Movement enables women workers to advocate for their interests and bring important issues to the forefront of the national agenda. As women’s representation in unions grows – particularly among women of color – Labor leaders are poised to enact more meaningful changes for women in the workforce.
(graphic by Peggy Marco on Pixabay)
