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Title: The Union Advantage: How Oregon Unions Raise Wages, Improve Benefits, and Contribute to the State Economy
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2019
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Abstract: This report from the University of Oregon Labor Education and Research Center provides the first empirical assessment of the impact of unions on living standards for workers in Oregon. Both national and state-level data show that unions raise wages, improve health and pension benefits, reduce overall income inequality, and significantly decrease racial and gender inequalities. Unions also make it much less likely that workers will need to rely on public benefits such as food stamps or welfare. Statistical analysis reveals that, all other things being equal, Oregon workers covered by a union contract earn 11% more than non-union workers, are 17.5% more likely to get health insurance through their job, and are 41% more likely to have an employer-provided retirement plan. Being covered by a union contract adds an average of $4,701 per year to each worker’s annual income. Overall, unions increased the income of working Oregonians by a total of $1.4 billion in 2017. National research has consistently shown that unions have a strong, positive impact on workers’ wages and benefits. For the first time, this report examines this same question specifically for Oregon workers. Key findings from our analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) data show that:
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Authors: Brenner, Mark; Stepick, Lina
Publisher: University of Oregon
Data Collections: IPUMS CPS
Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure
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