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AFSCME

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1. Why do I need a Union?

Simply talking about issues that affect public service employees isn’t enough. To make a difference, our voices must be heard. And we can be heard only when we organize as a union and gain the strength to make real change. Together, our collective voice is heard — on the job and in state legislatures and city halls.

2. Do union workers get higher wages?

Workers who are union members earn 30 percent more than non-union workers. Union wages are even greater for women and people of color. Women and African Americans represented by unions earn over 33 percent more than their non-union counterparts. And Latino workers with the union advantage make over 46 percent more than those not represented by a union.

3. Do union workers get better benefits?

Union workers are more likely than their non-union counterparts to receive health care and pension benefits. More than eight out of ten union members are covered by health insurance and have a pension plan — versus fewer than half of those not in a union.

4. Why do I need a union now?

Big corporations and anti-worker politicians are attacking public employees and the services we provide. Their goal is simple: privatize our jobs, strip us of our rights and dismantle the public sector. They’re going after our wages, our pensions and our health care. And in 2005, newly elected governors in Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri took away the bargaining rights of all state employees. This can happen anywhere.

In Washington, D.C., and in state capitols across the country, it’s the same old thing: politicians side with the rich and powerful, and neglect the needs of middle-class families.

Whether you are a public employee or work for a private company providing public services, we have to act now to stop the right-wing rush to lower our wages and benefits and eliminate our rights. That’s why building a strong union is so important now.