Unions Notch Biggest Increases Since '79

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Union membership in the United States increased to 15.7 million in 2007, according to a report released last Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 311,000 jump was the largest single-year increase in union membership since 1979.  Overall union density increased slightly from 12.0 percent to 12.1 percent last year, reversing a trend of decline in recent years. “Today's numbers show working people are pushing to form and join unions in order to improve their lives, despite record levels of resistance from employers,” AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said.  “They know that a union card is the single best ticket into the middle class, especially in today’s economy.” The growth in union membership comes at a time when workers say they want and need unions more than ever. More than half of all workers - 60 million - say they would join a union tomorrow if given the chance, according to independent research by Peter Hart Research Associates. Click here for details on the BLS report.