Union Advantage-Machinists Advantage
There are many advantages to belonging to
a union. Fairness and equity on the job, better wages, vacation, medical
and pension benefits are just a few advantages. Unions, through
expanding the middle class and narrowing the income gap between rich and
poor, also benefit society as a whole. Just examine the facts. According
to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 1998, union members on average
earned 32% more than non-union workers.
The union advantage is even greater for
women and people of color. As the following charts show: women who
belong to unions earn on average 38.6% more than women who do not belong
to unions; Latinos who are union members, on average, make an astounding
54.3% more than Latinos who are not members of unions; and African
Americans who belong to unions make on average 45.2% more than African
Americans who do not belong to unions.
