Union Membership Declined In 2010

The U.S. Labor Department has reported that union members accounted for only 11.9% of the work force in 2010, down from 12.3% in 2009.

The 7.6 million government workers in unions made up more than half of the 14.7 million workers in the U.S. who belonged to a union last year, with the state and local government sectors among the most heavily unionized in the economy.

The Wall Street Journal reported that in general, unions have had more success organizing new members in the public sector, wining over 90% of organizing elections in the public sector. According to Kate Bronfenbrenner, director of labor education research at Cornell University, unions succeed in about 65% of elections in the private sector. ◆