Unions Grew Last Year Despite Employer Opposition

January 28, 2008

If given the chance, says the AFL-CIO, 60 million American workers say they would join a union. Now we have unbiased evidence of just how true this is: Union membership in the United States grew – overall – by 311,000 members last year, according to this report by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. As noted in Think Progress, this is the first increase in 25 years and the largest single-year increase in overall membership since 1979 – a jump from 12.0 percent in 2006 to 12.1 percent in 2007. That growth – led by health services – happened despite significant employer opposition. That’s what happened to employees of Walker Methodist Health Center in Minnesota, as reported last year in this AFSCME WORKS cover story. Last year, 48,000 workers chose AFSCME as their union. In a statement, AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee says:

“AFSCME’s growth, which has been consistent even during challenging times, is now part of a broader trend that’s spreading throughout the union movement.”

We’re reassured that workers are organizing in ever-greater numbers, but we’ve got to end the harassment. We need to keep up the pressure on Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, which will makes it easier – and more fair – for workers to form and join unions. Read more about this great news at the AFL-CIO blog.