Employees covered by collectively bargained contracts 68% - 90% in Europe, 12% in the US.

[pampango]

Strong unions, strong productivity

Unionization in the United States has declined since the late 1970s, when 27% of U.S. workers were covered by union contracts, to today, when only about 12% are covered. This has had substantial adverse effects on inequality, the wages of typical workers, and pension and health benefit coverage.

By contrast, most of the major continental European countries have maintained strong unions, and most of their employees are covered by collectively bargained contracts, ranging from 68% in Germany to over 90% in Belgium, France, and Sweden (see the first chart below).



There is a common myth that unions hurt productivity, supposedly because they impose work rules that make their employers less efficient. The evidence from industrial relations studies does not support this myth. A broad study of the economics literature found “a positive association [of unions on productivity] is established for the United States in general and for U.S. manufacturing” in particular (Doucouliagos and Laroche 2003, 1).1 And as the second chart below reveals, international comparisons suggest that high productivity and very high union density are entirely compatible.



If Congress is concerned about protecting middle-class incomes, it should pass measures to facilitate union organizing and collective bargaining coverage. There is no reason to fear that higher rates of unionization will impede efficiency or labor productivity.

http://www.epi.org/publication/webfeatures_snapshots_20070620/

The positive correlation between unions and productivity in the US puts to lie republican contentions that unions inhibit it. The productivity of labor in Europe (which is largely unionized) compares very favorably with the US.

[Romeo.lima333]

1. part of this is the unions fault rather than fight and educate they chose the go-along-to-get-along

model that has soured itself to it members

[ND-Dem]

3. +100

[demosincebirth]

4. It's much harder to organize here than than in Europe. Also they have card check only just to

Organize a union. Here -- it's an election process that may take months and that benifits the employer.

[pampango]

5. I think it is safe to say that they don't have Taft-Hartley style "right-to-work" laws either. n/t

[ND-Dem]

2. kr

[AZ Progressive]

6. This shows the power of lies, lies that led to the ruin of the middle class

as well as the consequences when people (union leaders in this case) don't fight back.