In almost every industry union workers fare better than non-union workers performing the same type of jobs. The difference can be startling. The average union worker made 34 percent more in wages than did the average non-union worker in 1997. For machine operators there was a 50 percent difference in wages between union and non-union workers. Across the board union workers out pace non-union workers by sizable margins.
Union membership helps narrow the income gap routinely suffered by minorities and women.
There is no better way to bring greater equality in employment conditions than to have union representation. Another segment of the working population that benefits from unionization is the rapidly growing part-time workforce. Part-timers need the security and respect accorded to union members. The union assures part-timers that they will have a voice against any unfairness in the workplace. A 1995 U.S. Department of Labor report shows that 85 percent of unionized workers are provided with health care, while only 74 percent of non-union workers.