Last Thursday was International Women’s Day, a good time to lift up the role unions play in achieving economic equality for women. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research recently released a brief titled The Union Advantage for Women, which quantifies the benefits of union membership for working women.
IWPR estimates that the typical union woman makes a whopping 30% more per week than her nonunion sister. The benefits of unions are greatest for women of color: Latina union members make an estimated 47% more than Latinas who are not union members, and the union wage premium for black women is about 28%. What’s behind the union advantage? When working women unite, they’re able to bargain for the wages they deserve, and win robust benefits and respect and dignity on the job. Outside of the workplace, unions fight for state and local policies such as paid sick leave, family and medical leave insurance, fair schedules, and raising the minimum wage—all which disproportionately benefit women and their families. Women deserve a raise, and it starts with a voice and power on the job. Here’s today's labor history: On this date in 1912, the "Bread and Roses" textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts ended when the American Woolen Company agreed to most of the strikers’ demands; other textile companies quickly followed suit. Today’s labor quote is by union leader, socialist, and feminist Rose Schneiderman, who said: "The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too." This quote, appealing for both fair wages and dignified conditions, inspired women in the victorious 1912 textile strike to adopt it as their slogan. Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which provides unique products and discounts for working families. Check them out at unionplus.org!
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