Union Work Force Numbers Fall to All Time Low
By: Jenn Sullivan
Updated: January 24, 2013
Green Bay, Wis, (WFRV) - Numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show union workers have sharply declined over the last year.
Wisconsin and Indiana saw the largest drop in union numbers.
Nationwide, numbers fell to 11.3% and numbers in Wisconsin dropped by 13%.
Numbers haven't been that low since the Great Depression, said UW-Green Bay Associate Professor of Economics, Tom Nesslein.
Todd Mason, a Green Bay Fire Fighter and member of IAFF Union, said the drop in numbers means: "It's a sign of the times, people are looking for changes. People need to understand what the unions are and what they do for the working class."
In the 1950's 1 in every 3 workers was in a union.
But as working conditions have improved over time and industries replaced employees with machines, companies scaled back on union workers.
"It's much more competitive therefore companies have to face cost pressures that they didn't have to face," said Nesslein.
Industries like auto, manufacturing, and teaching saw the largest drop in numbers last year which union workers say is disappointing for middle class families.
Green Bay Labor Council AFL-CIO President, Tony Vanderbloemen, said "Where else can working families go to increase their standard of living unless they unite and fight for the betterment of the whole."
While economists predict union labors will continue to decline, AFL-CIO members say they'll continue to fight for their workers.
"I think it's a challenge. I'm not going to say it's over, oh no, we've just got to work harder," said Vanderbloemen.
