Unionized Workplaces Make a Difference

July 17, 2009

There is a “union difference” in family-friendly workplace policies, such as family and medical leave, paid sick leave for employees and their children, health care and flexible work arrangements.

According to a recently-published report by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education and the Labor Project for Working Families, unionized workers receive more generous family-friendly benefits than their non-unionized counterparts. These benefits include: increased compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act, access to paid leave and flexible paid sick days.

“This study bolsters the case for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA),” says AFSCME International Pres. Gerald H. McEntee.

“Without the freedom to form and join unions, employees won’t be able to bargain for better health care, pensions, wages and working conditions. In these times of economic need, union membership can pave the way toward the American dream for more working families.”

To download “Family-Friendly Workplaces: Do Unions Make a Difference?” go to http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu or http://www,working-families.org