Unions Win!
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Nationally, union workers earn 10-20% more on average than non-union employees. Average gains are even
bigger for Black and Hispanic union workers. Unionized women are closer to pay equity with men (from $0.74 to
$0.90 for every dollar men earn). Union workers are more likely to pay less for better core benefits, such as a
healthcare coverage, and also more likely to have better fringe benefits, such as vacation time and parental
leave.
And, public defender unions are winning nationwide!
In Minnesota…
- Workers negotiated a new 10-step pay scale and everyone in the system won a 40-50% pay raise in 2023. Pay steps and cost-of-living increases must be re-negotiated every two years.
- The contract the union won mandates that new employees start with more vacation time, and many employees now have more allowable reimbursement for work expenses.
In Colorado..
- After formation of the union, and even before collective bargaining began, the state government authorized $16.1 million in pay increases for public defender workers. Starting attorney salaries jumped from approximately $64,000 to $82,000 after unionization.
In Maryland..
- Unionized attorneys won pay-step increases, hourly employees won overtime recognition, and bilingual employees doubled their skilled pay
- The union also secured an agreement for transparent, member-driven interviews of job candidates
In Los Angeles County..
- In anticipation of a new 3-year contract, management has agreed to union demands for a detailed caseload limits study conducted through an unbiased outside organization.
In Philidelphia..
- During contract negotiations, the city authorized $5.8 million in pay increases for all workers.
- The union’s first contract with management distributed that increase so that many hourly employees could quit the second jobs they were working to survive.
In Louisville..
- When the city’s public defender agency refused to bargain and work in good faith, workers took the fight to court and won. A federal judge found that management violated federal law, and the city defender is now joining the state system, which provides access to better funding, benefits, and institutional support.
Download Full List Of Union Gains