Highlights
There is likely a popular assumption that labor unions represent “workers,” and that organized labor shares the same priorities as labor writ large. Indeed, for most workers, it would have to be an assumption, since more than 90 percent of workers are not members of a union. While union membership once reached over 30 percent of employment according to the Congressional Research Service, today it has fallen to less than 10 percent. While higher union density prevails in government at about 32 percent, the private sector has largely abandoned organized labor, with less than 6 percent of private workers represented by unions.
Union Density (1880-2022)
Source: CRS
For workers outside government (e.g. police, firefighters, and teachers), organized labor is less popular than the least popular politician in America. Organized labor is essentially a fringe candidate, and its advocacy reflects these views. For example, one product of organized labor is the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP), which has strong ties to labor unions such as UNITE HERE and SEIU. This group spends its days criticizing an entire industry, while advocating for leftist policies that will ultimately harm working Americans – even the relative minority in unions – the most. It produces reports that are highly misleading and contain clear errors, all ultimately in service of advancing a leftist agenda reflecting a narrow segment of the American population.