Trade Unions (Civ5)/Civilopedia

Trade unions are organizations of workers who have banded together to gain better working conditions, increased salaries, healthcare, and so forth for their members. The trade union negotiates contracts with the employer, hopefully achieving more success than any individual employee could on his or her own. If the negotiations are unsuccessful then the trade union might organize a work stoppage (or "strike"), limiting or curtailing the employer's income. Many companies have bitterly resisted the "unionization" of their workforce, and more than a little blood has been shed over the matter. In the US, unions were opposed by company goons, local law enforcement, and, in some cases, soldiers. By the mid-20th century some 35% of all American workers belonged to a union. Since that period union membership has dropped and now only about 12% are unionized.