Union Membership Drops 10% (in 2009)

Wall Street Journal ^ | January 22, 2010 | Kris Maher

[Zakeet]

Organized labor lost 10% of its members in the private sector last year, the largest decline in more than 25 years. The drop is on par with the decline in total employment but threatens to significantly limit labor's ability to influence elections and legislation.

On Friday, the Labor Department reported that private-sector unions lost 834,000 members, bringing membership down to 7.2% of the private-sector work force, from 7.6% the year before. The broader drop in U.S. employment and a small gain by public-sector unions helped keep the total share of union membership flat at 12.3% in 2009.

Labor experts said the union-membership losses would have a long-term impact on unions and their finances, because unions wouldn't automatically regain members once the job market rebounded "The bad news for unions is twofold. When times are bad they lose members, and when times are good they don't recoup those members," said Gary Chaison, a professor of industrial relations at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

The report caps a week of bad news for organized labor, as Democrats lost a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, dashing union hopes for passing legislation to ease union-organizing rules, and putting the union-backed health-care bill into question.

[Zakeet]

Fortunately for the Rats, the government is still hiring more SEIU members and teachers

[A. Morgan]

Fortunately for everyone else, the Obama Hope and Change doesn’t seem to be working very well at all.

[A. Morgan]

Fortunately for everyone else, the Obama Hope and Change doesn’t seem to be working very well at all. /sarcasm

[PGR88]

Doesn’t matter. It’s the Gov’t unions that really count - SEIU, AFSCME, CSEU, etc....

[cajuncow]

“long-term impact on unions and their finances”

I smell the stench of impending bailout.

[Brilliant]

They have a bad strategy. Driving their employers out of business means fewer jobs.

[Nightbird]

The natural result of them driving their employers out of business with their antiquated wage scales, work rules and job banks.

They’ve focused on organizing government workers thinking that they can suck their employer dry, and if it’s a government agency, the gravy train will keep on flowing.

They’re putting that to the test in California though.

[Bringbackthedraft]

If you have no job, you can’t pay the dues.

[CaptainMorgantown]

My guess is that a huge part of that 10% drop comes from the collapse of auto industry.

[Gabrial]

For the first time in American history, more union members work in government jobs than in the private sector.

You tax dollars at work.

[SeattleBruce]

For the first time in American history, more union members work in government jobs than in the private sector.
++++++++++++++

Wow. Unions are becoming synonymous with RAT gubmint. In that regard, it’s pret much the unions/gubmint/entitlement crowd pitted against everyone else.

[WOBBLY BOB]

Job Growth Lacking in the Private Sector (over the last decade)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/business/economy/08charts.html

Despite budget cuts and layoff warnings, California still hiring and workforce still growing

http://www.sacbee.com/politics/story/2094403.html

The Sacramento Bee
Aug. 9, 2009

State job number on upswing despite recession

The job growth for state workers contrasts with the loss of 759,000
jobs in California’s private industry in the past 12 months

http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_12984385?nclick_check=1&forced=true

not to mention gubermint employees and their pensions...

Reform advocates are spotlighting those with extravagant pensions
— $100,000 or more — as a way to get the public’s attention and
emphasize that the current system is unsustainable.

http://www.modbee.com/editorials/story/803636.html

[WOBBLY BOB]

Dodging the bill-
The great public-sector pension rip-off

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13988606

From The Economist print edition
July 9, 2009

[Free Vulcan]

Wait till if cap n trade passes. Manufacturing, transportation, energy unions - gone. Govt unions - 3 jobs for every private sector job lost.

And the union bosses have no problem with that. They’ll sell the factory guys down the river.