The Union Difference:
There are 16 million union members across the country, and over 85,000 working families in Contra Costa County. We are workers in hospitals and nursing homes, refineries and on construction sites, trains, buses and airplanes. We are security guards, engineers, office workers, musicians, electricians, postal workers, janitors and more.
Learn more about how being a member of a Union can benefit your career, your family, and your life!
Higher Wages: Union workers average $204 more per week than their non-union counterparts
Better Benefits: Union workers are more likely to have employer-provided pensions and health insurance.
A Safer Workplace: Union workers have safer working conditions that prevent death, illness, and injury.
A Voice on the Job: Better workplace and working conditions without the fear of retaliation.
Health Insurance
Access to job-provided health insurance:
79% of Union workers
49% of non-union workers
Black Working People
Black working people median weekly earnings:
$800: Black Union workers
$617: Black non-union workers
AAPI Working People
Asian American working people median weekly earnings:
$1,094: Asian American Union Workers
$977: Asian American non-union workers
Paid Sick Leave
Access to paid sick leave:
83% of Union workers
62% of non-union workers
Working Women
Women’s median weekly earnings:
$928: Union women’s
$697: non-union women’s
Latino Working People
Latino working people median weekly earnings:
$862: Latino Union workers
$586: Latino non-union workers
Retirement
Participation in defined-benefit pension plans:
76% of Union workers
16% of non-union workers
Median Weekly Earnings
Median weekly earnings:
$980: Union workers
$776: non-union workers
Legislation
Unions are the spearhead for improving working conditions all across America. Here are just some of the ways that unions have raised the working standards for all workers:
Family and Medical Leave Act
Pregnancy and Parental Leave
All Breaks at Work (including Lunch Breaks)
Weekends and Paid Vacations
Sick Leave
Minimum Wage
Social Security
Overtime and Holiday Pay
Child Labor Laws
Privacy Rights
Civil Rights
Homeowners Bill of Rights
OSHA
40-Hour Work Week
8-Hour Work Day
Military Leave
Protections for Immigrant Workers
Workers Compensation
Unemployment Insurance
Wrongful Termination Laws
Sexual Harassment Laws
Americans with Disabilities Act
Employer Dental, Life and Vision Insurance
Equal Pay Acts of 1963 and 2011