Unions are a building block for an economy that works for all of us. 

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Take a look at this EPI chart that highlights the divergence in union membership and income in the United States. This chart ([link removed]) , originally published in an EPI report from 2017 ([link removed]) , reflects a troubling trend, which has only accelerated during the pandemic.
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Former U.S. Labor Secretary and co-founder of EPI Robert Reich recently shared EPI's chart with this tweet, "This is the most important graph. The share of national income going to the richest 10 percent was lowest (and share to lower 90 percent highest) when union membership was at its highest. As unions have weakened, inequality has widened. It's not about economics. It's about power."
Check out and share ([link removed]) this EPI chart ([link removed]) , which shows, in dramatic terms, the relationship between the decline of union membership and the increasing share of income going to the top 10 percent.
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The decline in union membership didn't happen accidentally. It is the direct result of decades worth of employers’ anti-union activities. Fierce corporate opposition has suppressed workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain collectively. Intense and aggressive anti-union campaigns—once confined to the most anti-union employers—have become widespread.

The benefits of unions go well beyond immediate membership. Unions, for example, raise wages for both union and nonunion workers. As an economic sector becomes more unionized, nonunion employers pay more to retain qualified workers and norms of higher pay and better conditions become standard.

Unions also help raise the wages of women, Black and Latinx workers—whose wages have historically lagged behind those of white men—by establishing pay “transparency” (workers know what other workers are making), correcting salary discrepancies, establishing clearer terms for internal processes such as raises and promotions, and helping workers who have been discriminated against achieve equity.

Further, unions improve the health and safety practices of workplaces, which is of particular importance during a pandemic with no vaccine or effective treatment.

EPI is fighting every day to strengthen labor unions and the rights of working people. If you value EPI’s critical research, please consider a donation today. ([link removed])

EPI’s economists produce clear reports, filled with informative charts, that highlight inequalities in our economy. We need this critical work now more than ever to guide policy makers and activists as we fight for progressive economic change.

Thank you,

Eve Tahmincioglu
Director of Communications, Economic Policy Institute

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