A report from the Economic Policy Institute reveals that tripling union membership across the United States would result in a 14.5% pay raise for the median American worker.
This growth in union density would redirect $1.2 trillion to employees annually and substantially minimize racial wage disparities.
The research highlights that the workforce unionization rate was once three times higher than its current state.
During the 1950s, union density exceeded 30% before embarking on a downward trajectory in the 1960s.
The figures dropped to 22.2% by the 1980s, ultimately plummeting to just 10% in 2025.
Public sentiment toward organized labor remains strong despite shrinking membership numbers.
Over 68% of Americans favored unions in 2025, and data reveals that more than 50 million American workers would choose to join a union if given the option.
The study links the erosion of union density to aggressive corporate anti-union campaigns and restrictive legislation.
These declining rates directly mirror the expanding wealth and income gap experienced over recent decades.
Since 1979, the productivity of American workers has scaled 2.7 times faster than the growth rate of their actual compensation.
Robert Reich writes in the foreword of the report that by making it harder for workers to organize, the rich seized more income and wealth, destroying the US middle class.
He notes that the richest 0.1% now own more than five times the combined wealth of the entire bottom half of the country.
An increase in union density back to 30% would translate to an annual boost of $7,700 for the median worker.
This equals over $1.2 trillion yearly for the workforce, or nearly $270,000 throughout a 35-year career.
Such structural shifts would reverse approximately one-third of the total rise in inequality recorded since 1979.
Historically, union membership yields a wage premium between 15% and 20%, though current low density levels may obscure the true impact.
Collective bargaining frameworks also serve to elevate wages across entire industries, benefiting non-unionized employees.
The report outlined legislative pathways to achieve higher membership, such as enacting the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.
Another cited measure is the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which secures collective bargaining rights for public sector employees.
The report also highlights policies demanding mandatory annual raises for new unions and enforcing negotiations at firms where the executive-to-worker salary ratio tops 100:1.
Eliminating "right to work" statutes and public sector bargaining limits could independently lift US union density from 9.9% to 14.4%.
High union density states also show greater public education spending, expanded Medicaid access, and stronger voting rights protections.
