News Release
Unions Boost Pay for Women Workers in West Virginia
December 12, 2008 --
Unionized women workers are significantly better off than non-union women in terms of wages, health insurance and pensions, according to a new report released jointly by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in Washington, DC, and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy in Charleston.
Union membership boosts women’s wages by 11.2 percent nationally, according to the report, “Unions and Upward Mobility for Women.” That translates into $2.00 more per hour. In West Virginia, union women earn an extra 8.4 percent, or 94 cents more per hour.
“For women, joining a union makes as much sense as going to college,” said John Schmitt, an economist at CEPR and author of the study. “All else equal, joining a union raises a woman’s wage as much as a full year of college and increases her chances of having health insurance by more than earning a four-year degree.”
The union advantage extends beyond paychecks. More than 3 out of 4 unionized women have health insurance compared to 2 out of 4 non-union women. Unionized women were also more likely to have a pension; with over three-quarters of unionized women having pension coverage while less than half of non-unionized women had pensions. Unionized women in low-wage occupations were even more likely to have health and pension coverage than their non-union counterparts.
“Union coverage clearly improves the wages and benefits of West Virginia women,” said Ted Boettner, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. “The findings suggest that protecting workers’ right to unionize is an important strategy for improving the economic status of women in our state.”
The Center for Economic and Policy Research is an independent, nonpartisan think tank that was established to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people’s lives.
The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy is a policy research organization that is nonpartisan, nonprofit, and statewide. It focuses on how policy decisions affect all West Virginians, especially low- and moderate-income families.