How Unions Benefit APAs
Asian and Pacific American (APA) workers are
the fastest growing segment of organized labor
and among the few that are growing. From
2003 to 2004, the number of APAs in unions
increased from 580,000 to 603,000 with the
percentage in unions holding steady at 11.4
percent. However, starting in 2005 and
2006, APAs have seen a slight decline in union
membership, with 11.2 percent (601,794) and
10.4 percent (598,176) respectively.
Why are so many APA workers uniting to improve their working conditions?
Workers with a union have a voice in changing their working conditions and improving the lives of their families. A union is an organization workers form to negotiate as a group with their employer for a contract that spells out the rights and responsibilities of each party. Through this bargaining process, union workers have won:
• Respect on the Job
• Better Wages and Benefits
• A Voice in Improving the Quality of their Products and Services
• Flexibility in work schedules
• A way counterbalance the power of their employer, which otherwise remain
unchecked.
Unionized workers typically organize themselves within their workplaces with elected leaders and regular meetings to ensure that their contract is upheld in both letter and spirit as well as to discuss any other workplace issues that might have arisen. Some of these elected positions are called "stewards."
Stewards are fellow union members and co-workers who volunteer to help their co-workers by answering with questions about the contract, assessing whether individual problems fall within a solution outlined in the contract, or helping to figure out other alternatives. They also serve as a vital communications network to relay concerns of workers to other elected leaders of the union and to spread information about workplace issues back to the workers. Unionized workers may also hold regular meetings to prepare for bargaining and to have a continuing forum for workers to bring up issues of concern to them.
The Union Advantage
Unions have helped women and people of color make great strides in closing the wage gap and lessening the disparities in income and consequently in opportunity. For every group, unions make a difference in wages.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Released 2007)
Unions Improve The Lives of ALL Workers and Their Communities
• Labor unions have worked to pass laws that benefit all workers such as Social Security,
the Fair Labor Standards Act, unemployment insurance, and the minimum wage.
• Unions have set the standards for the 8-hour workday, 5-day work week, paid leave,
job security, and fair treatment for women, people of color, and lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender workers.
• Unionized workers have used their voice at work to improve the quality of services for
the community. Health care workers have secured better minimum nurse to patient
staffing ratio. Teachers and school employees have advocated for early childhood
education programs such as extended full-year kindergarten for disadvantaged
children. Workers in the public services have lobbied for accountability and reliable
delivery of quality services.
Why are so many APA workers uniting to improve their working conditions?
Workers with a union have a voice in changing their working conditions and improving the lives of their families. A union is an organization workers form to negotiate as a group with their employer for a contract that spells out the rights and responsibilities of each party. Through this bargaining process, union workers have won:
• Respect on the Job
• Better Wages and Benefits
• A Voice in Improving the Quality of their Products and Services
• Flexibility in work schedules
• A way counterbalance the power of their employer, which otherwise remain
unchecked.
Unionized workers typically organize themselves within their workplaces with elected leaders and regular meetings to ensure that their contract is upheld in both letter and spirit as well as to discuss any other workplace issues that might have arisen. Some of these elected positions are called "stewards."
Stewards are fellow union members and co-workers who volunteer to help their co-workers by answering with questions about the contract, assessing whether individual problems fall within a solution outlined in the contract, or helping to figure out other alternatives. They also serve as a vital communications network to relay concerns of workers to other elected leaders of the union and to spread information about workplace issues back to the workers. Unionized workers may also hold regular meetings to prepare for bargaining and to have a continuing forum for workers to bring up issues of concern to them.
The Union Advantage
Unions have helped women and people of color make great strides in closing the wage gap and lessening the disparities in income and consequently in opportunity. For every group, unions make a difference in wages.
| Asian American union
workers median weekly
earnings |
$853
|
| Asian American non-union
workers median weekly
earnings |
$823 |
| Union wage advantage
for Asian
Americans |
+4% |
| Union
women's median weekly
earnings |
$790 |
| Non-union women's
median weekly
earnings |
$592 |
| Union wage advantage
for
women |
+33% |
| African
American union workers' median weekly
earnings |
$732 |
| African American
non-union workers' median weekly
earnings |
$533 |
| Union wage advantage
for African
Americans |
+37% |
| Latino
union workers' median weekly
earnings |
$736 |
| Latino non-union
workers' median weekly
earnings |
$487 |
| Union wage advantage
for
Latinos |
+51% |
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Released 2007)
Unions Improve The Lives of ALL Workers and Their Communities
• Labor unions have worked to pass laws that benefit all workers such as Social Security,
the Fair Labor Standards Act, unemployment insurance, and the minimum wage.
• Unions have set the standards for the 8-hour workday, 5-day work week, paid leave,
job security, and fair treatment for women, people of color, and lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender workers.
• Unionized workers have used their voice at work to improve the quality of services for
the community. Health care workers have secured better minimum nurse to patient
staffing ratio. Teachers and school employees have advocated for early childhood
education programs such as extended full-year kindergarten for disadvantaged
children. Workers in the public services have lobbied for accountability and reliable
delivery of quality services.