The Century Foundation looks at How Unions Help All Workers. They tell the story of five different workers that have benefited from unions. Of course, as the recent strike at John Deere demonstrates even some non-union workers benefit from unions.
There are plenty of stories about weeks-long strikes, hard-fought unionization drives, unions’ role in political campaigns, and unions fighting to raise the minimum wage. Perhaps it’s considered too prosaic, but there are hardly any stories that examine in depth how belonging to a union or joining a union has changed workers’ lives and improved things for their families.
This report takes a look at five workers—a construction worker, a barista, a charter school teacher, a forklift operator at a warehouse, and a hospital aide—and documents how belonging to a union has lifted those workers, has improved their pay and benefits, and given them a far stronger voice at work.
(graphic via wipsociology.com)
