When talking to co-workers about why we should organize and join the union
NOW, I feel it's also important to mention the following facts, which are mentioned in the IBT website
International Brotherhood of Teamsters | International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) facts that come directly from the U.S. Department of Labor. I think these numbers speak for themselves:
Wages of union members are, on average,
27 percent higher than those of workers without union representation.
- Women in unions earn an extra $170 a week – $9,000 more a year.
- African Americans in unions earn an extra $150 a week – $8,000 more a year.
- Latinos in unions earn an extra $225 a week – $11,650 more a year.
88 percent of union workers have job-related
health coverage while only 69 percent of non-union workers do.
More than two out of three union jobs offer a
dental plan; only 44 percent of non-union workers receive dental coverage.
More than half all union jobs offer
vision coverage; only about one-quarter of non-union jobs provide vision care.
85 percent of union jobs offer
prescription drug coverage; only 66 percent of non-union jobs provide prescription drug coverage.
Union workers pay an average of 8 percent of the
total monthly premium (employer pays 92 percent) for single coverage; non-union workers pay 20 percent. Union households pay an average of 12 percent of the monthly premium for family coverage while non-union families pay 32 percent.
72 percent of union workers have a guaranteed defined-benefit
pension compared to 15 percent of non-union workers.
Also, the IBT website has a "ORGANIZE" tab that I urge everyone use, in addition to calling-in and following Ricochets' excellent advice as to how to pull it off.