From pay to training to retirement, LIUNA members live better.
Men and women working in the construction industry see the difference a union makes in every paycheck.
- The average wage for a union-worker is $28.08, compared with $18.10 for a non -union worker, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- A heavy-highway LIUNA worker averages $41.94 an hour in wages and benefits, compared to $18.93 for non-union Laborers, according to Engineering News Record’s Construction Economics Department.
A union helps neutralize pay discrimination. The most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows:
- For women in a union, the weekly pay advantage is 32% over non-union women in the workforce.
- For Hispanic union workers, the weekly pay advantage is 42%.
- For African American union workers, the weekly pay advantage is 33%.
LIUNA has one of the best continuing FREE education systems in the world.
- With dozens of courses that open the door to new opportunities and provide members with valuable skills.
- Classes are available in every state in the U.S. and every province in Canada.
LIUNA members are safer on the job.
- Members are empowered with the ability to speak out about workplace hazards.
- Members are provided with training in order to recognize potential hazards.
- A recent study found that the construction fatality rate in states with high union membership is half that of states with lower union membership.
Workers within a union also have an advantage when it comes to HEALTHCARE and RETIREMENT. The Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey reports:
- 85% of union workers have health care insurance which includes medical, dental, vision and prescription drugs compared to the 54% of non-union workers.
- 76% of union workers have a guaranteed defined-benefit pension plan while only 16% of non-union workers have a pension plan.
Resources
- BLS, Union Members 2014
- Engineering New Record Q3 2014 Cost Report
- BLS, Union Members 2014
- Right-to-Work Laws and Fatalities in Construction
- BLS, National Compensation Survey, Healthcare benefits: Access, participation, and take-up
- BLS, National Compensation Survey, Retirement benefits: Access, participation, and take-up rates