As this nation celebrates another Labor Day, it is both useful and important to review a number of developments regarding workers and labor unions in the United States. The following provides a perspective on labor’s status in terms of demographics, some of the significant challenges confronting workers and their organizations, and the important role of organized labor.

According to a report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, in 2005, out of a total U.S. employed work force of 125.9 million wage and salary workers, 12.5 percent were union members. (BLS, “Union Members in 2005,” http://www.bls.gov/cps/ Jan. 20, 2006). The BLS study pointed out that from 2004 to 2005, the number of union members actually increased by 213,000 to a total of approximately 15.7 million. Additional findings of the BLS report on union membership are highlighted and summarized as follows:

? Percentage of Unionization: Overview by Race, Sex and Age – 43 percent (6.8 million) of the unionized work force were women, and 57 percent (8.9 million) were men. Unionization rates among blacks (15 percent) continued to be higher than for whites (12 percent), Hispanics (10 percent) and Asians (11 percent). The BLS data also revealed that older workers were more likely to be union members.

? Unionization by Sector and Industry – The BLS report showed that the rate of unionization in the public sector (36.5 percent) was more than four times that of the private sector (8 percent). While the overall rate of employee organization was much lower in the private sector, there were a number of private industries with higher rates. These included: utilities (27 percent), transportation and warehousing (23 percent), telecommunications (21 percent), and construction and manufacturing (13 percent each). Service-sector industries had unionization rates ranging from 1 to 13 percent.

? Earnings and Union Affiliation – The BLS report revealed that in 2005, the median weekly earnings of full-time unionized wage and salary employees was $801. In comparison, the median weekly earnings for nonunion wage and salary employees was $622. This constitutes a weekly earnings differential of nearly 29 percent ($179) between these two groups. The study also documented that union and nonunion wage and salary differences were even greater for women, blacks and people of Hispanic origin.

Specifically, in comparison to their nonunion counterparts, the increase in median weekly earnings for unionized full-time wage and salary workers was 31 percent for women, 31 percent for blacks and 50 percent for people of Hispanic origin.

? Unionization in Maine – According to the BLS annual study, out of a total employed work force of 582,000 wage and salary workers in Maine for 2005, approximately 12 percent (69,000) were members of a union.

The challenges confronting workers and their organizations are ongoing and formidable. Some examples include: earning an adequate living wage or salary, representing the rights of labor in employment law, preventing employment discrimination, organizing new members and unions in a changing economy, engaging in collective bargaining and contract maintenance, dealing with employment loss and dislocation, and working to attain lifelong educational opportunities for workers and their families.

Adding to these challenges, in recent years there have been major transformations in the United States and world economies, new technological innovations in the world of work and dramatic developments in labor relations, including major organizational change within the labor movement itself. A remarkable aspect regarding the history of organized labor in the United States has been its continued ability to adapt to change. The future will reveal how well labor unions will deal with these latest challenges and changes.

Labor Day is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of workers and their organizations. It is particularly important to remember the significant ongoing role of labor unions in this nation’s political process and in the formation of public policy. For example, in the area of employment law, organized labor has played a vital role in the enactment of legislation involving wage-hour protections and improvements, family and medical leave rights, occupational health and safety, equal opportunity and protections against employment discrimination, collective bargaining and the right to organize, whistleblower protections, workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation.

The passage of laws in these areas has benefited both organized and unorganized workers. In addition, the reality is that millions of workers in the United States have pensions, paid vacations, health insurance and paid holidays, largely as a result of what unions have attained through collective bargaining negotiations.

None of these benefits is required by statute. The fact that they exist at all is because of unions, and the employment precedents and standards they have achieved through the bilateral decision-making process of collective bargaining in the workplace. All of these developments have served to raise the standard of living for those working in the United States and thereby improve the economy and quality of life for people in the nation.

Bill Murphy is the director of the Bureau of Labor Education at the University of Maine. BLE staffers Valerie Carter, Gary McGrane and Jane Crouch assisted in editing this commentary. These views do not necessarily reflect the position of the University of Maine or the University of Maine System.