Union Membership Rate Falls to 100-Year Low

Looks like general membership in Unions is headed for a 100 year low.

The info is based on data from the BLS.

Seems like membership has fallen a little under the Obama Administration.

Possibly due to job availabilities and jobs that "people" won't organize themselves?

What is the real problem here?

New information from the federal government suggests workers’ interest in unions continues to fall, with union membership reaching its lowest rate in 100 years.

According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today, the union membership rate fell to 11.1 percent, with just 14.6 million wage and salaried workers maintaining membership.

In 2013, the union membership rate was 0.2 percentage points higher, at 11.3 percent.


Union Membership Rate Falls to 100-Year Low

How "Low" will they GO?

a reply to: xuenchen


This is what happens when the unions screw their members.
I remember when the unions use to take care of the members, you scratch mine I'll scatch yours but now they just want theirs scratched.

a reply to: xuenchen

What the thing that big companies hate are becoming a thing of the past?

Maybe the elected officials should stop attacking them so much.

Is the point that the obama admin is the cause of the lower unions?

a reply to: xuenchen

It's because everyone is moving to Texas.

Edit: Also could just be that people are realizing that the unions aren't any better than the companies themselves half the time. Conflicts of interest are commonplace.

a reply to: xuenchen

People were actually killed fighting for Union Rights. I guess when factory workers have no protection against safety violations, not a sick day to be earned, and are subjected to all manner of diseases and injuries, it can begin again.

We are going backwards.

This is certainly nothing to be happy about.

eta: And where do those dollars go? You know damn well where they go.

a reply to: xuenchen

Time to bring back the 8-hour day. Remember 9 to 5? So many people think they have to get into work at 6 or 7 a.m., and stay until 4 or 5. My dad was a union man for almost his whole working life, and they treated him well.

a reply to: ladyinwaiting

Those dollars go to Vegas for their "conference".

Unions have become as corrupt as the companies they fought against and are just a huge money-laundering scam for politicians.

Personally there is a place for a union when you are being fleeced, but your union should never be larger than the local entity it faces down.

Why should one union represent all the workers at the Big Three auto companies? Why doesn't anyone call that a monopoly? What about the teachers' unions - there are only really two of those. Shouldn't there be more choice for teachers and should public employees be allowed to unionize? The tax payers get no seat at that bargaining agreement, but the union gets to make all kinds of electioneering moves to make sure it gets the elected officials it wants at the bargaining table ...

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: xuenchen

What the thing that big companies hate are becoming a thing of the past?

Maybe the elected officials should stop attacking them so much.

Is the point that the obama admin is the cause of the lower unions?

I'm sure the Obama factors are just anomalies.

But I'm sure Obama's failure to get big jobs back has something to do with this continuing trend.

a reply to: ketsuko

That's a good point.

One of the biggest problems with unions is that they are industry specific as a rule instead of company specific. If each union was tied to a particular company then they would be A. Completely dependent on the workers of said company for their job to exist(meaning they have an interest in representing them fully) and B. Would also have a vested interest in the company surviving.

Unions or this?m.youtube.com...

originally posted by: thesaneone
a reply to: xuenchen


This is what happens when the unions screw their members.
I remember when the unions use to take care of the members, you scratch mine I'll scatch yours but now they just want theirs scratched.

I don't know what unions you are talking about. My unions SAG/AFTRA and IATSE provide me with health care, retirement, a kickass credit union, paid cell phones and plan and a brother/sisterhood that certainly cares more about each other than any corporate production house. Like those scumbags a Disney!!

My membership dues is money well spent considering all the benefits I receive.
Like getting to hang out with Renee Zellweger...

In unity there is Strength

I imagine corporate influence has a lot to do with the decline in members such as the way large employers like Walmart actively discourage union membership. How rife that behaviour is with other American corporations I dont know.

a reply to: olaru12

Glad it's working out for you but a majority of the unions out there screw their members.

To be clear, I am aware that when the original unions were established, (think "Norma Rae", if you haven't seen it, watch it. It's an example of how the Unions unfolded; Sally Field, Academy Award, good movie) the U.S. was all about manufacturing, and we have moved away from that, and are now into more service related areas.

So, I'm not talking so much about unions for so-called "white collar" folks. We still have laborers aplenty, and unskilled workers, who without unions would be thrown to the corporative dog-eat-dog world, er, dogs.

We have seen how big corporations treat workers in China (Apple among others) in other areas around the world. And how illegal immigrants are treated here.

I postulate that without unions, big corporations can and will do anything they can get away with to maximize their own profits, even at the expense of the health and well being of their own workers.

I know a lot of union people from construction, teachers to office-types. I've never heard of them complain about being "screwed" by a union. The only complaint I've really heard is that sometimes the person at the union hall won't take them seriously enough about a crappy boss or something.

I never used to care about unions at all, no thought for or against them. Now being a part of one, I love it. Although my original thoughts of unions breeding laziness are still there. I find it difficult to take all my time off in the year. I work 8 days on, 6 days off, 10 hour days, so after every shift, I get a mini holiday anyways!

a reply to: olaru12
Hanging out with Renee Zellweger!? What have we seen you in? Or are you behind the scenes?

originally posted by: superman2012
a reply to: olaru12
Hanging out with Renee Zellweger!? What have we seen you in? Or are you behind the scenes?

This one with Renee Z. in the scenes shot here in NM
www.youtube.com...

And "A Million Ways to die In the West" I'm the guy with the beard and mustache.... and Lots of TV shot here in NM inclueding 10 episodes of "Breaking BAD"

Behind the Camera, props and art dept. All UNION SHOOTS.

For all you anti union folks....Don't watch TV or Movies....or listen to Rush...he's SAG/AFTRA as well, hypocrite bashing unions....lol

a reply to: olaru12

You're Kevin Bacon! j/k

I know you are a young guy, livin' the good life. Good for you!