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Good jobs are those that support families and provide benefits and the chance to retire with dignity and security. Good jobs and union membership go hand in hand but so often workers who struggle to form unions are prevented from doing so by employers that intimidate and harass them and federal rules that make it harder than ever to choose a union.

Family-supporting Pay

Good jobs are jobs that pay enough for a family to live on. A full-time worker earning the federal minimum wage (less than $16,000 annually) can’t support a family, afford healthcare or save for retirement. Union members earn an average of 28% more than non-union workers.

Retirement in Dignity

A defined-benefit pension plan is the foundation of a secure retirement and union workers are much more likely to have one.

Health Care

Good jobs provide affordable healthcare. Union members are more likely to have health coverage benefits but increasingly wage and benefit increases for union members are being eaten up by sky-rocketing health care costs. We must address the health care crisis in this country.

Resources

What’s the Difference Between a Defined-Benefit and a Defined-Contribution Plan? AFL-CIO.

Union Members in 2007. U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Living wage: Facts at a glance. Economic Policy Institute.