Public support for unions at near record high, union membership for women improves economic stability

WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 24, 2024 – Newly released analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families of Bureau of Labor Statistics data on union membership shows that recent union wins – from Starbucks to SAG-AFTRA to rail workers and more – are more than just a trend.

The new analysis reveals that 82,000 Latinas and 70,000 Black women joined unions in 2023. Latinas had the highest increase in membership of any group of women, at 8.8 percent (up from 8.5 percent in 2022), and 10.5 percent of Black women are union members, up from 10.3 percent a year ago.

“The major union fights, and wins, in the last year show that unions are resurging as a critical piece of worker protections, and women are a huge part of it,” said Jocelyn C. Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “When women are members of unions, they have fairer chances at equal pay, better benefits, and safer and more equal workplaces. We’re proud to support the powerful work of organizers, and we urge policy makers and business leaders to continue fighting for worker protections to build an economy that centers all workers, especially Black women and Latinas.”

According to the analysis, being part of, or represented by a union leads to higher wages and smaller pay gaps. For women, the advantages include not only better pay, but also better access to benefits that support work-life balance, including paid family and medical leave, retirement and health care. In some instances unions are also ensuring critical access to reproductive health and gender-affirming care.

“For Latinas especially, the benefits of union membership pay off,” said Katherine Gallagher Robbins, senior fellow at the National Partnership for Women & Families. “Among full-time Latina workers the “union bump” amounts to almost $14,000 in additional pay a year. The data show that overall, women’s union membership was 9.5 percent in 2023, a minimal change from 9.6 percent the year before.”

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