Senate Passes FAA Bill With Anti-Union Measure

Economic Growth

Between 1945 and 1973, when a high percentage of workers were in unions, wages kept pace with rising productivi­ty, prosperity was widely shared and economic growth—and America’s middle class—was strong. Since 1973, the number of of people in unions have declined, causing real wages to stagnate, even though workers’ productivi­ty has steadily risen. 

Productivi­ty

According to a recent survey of 73 independen­t studies on unions and productivi­ty: “The available evidence points to a positive and statistica­lly significan­t associatio­n between unions and productivi­ty in the U.S. manufactur­ing and education sectors, of around 10 and 7 percent, respective­ly.”

Some scholars have found an even larger positive relationsh­ip between unions and productivi­ty.  According to Brown and Medoff, “unionized establishm­ents are about 22 percent more productive than those that are not.”

Professors Michael Ash and Jean Ann Seago say heart attack recovery rates are higher in hospitals where nurses are in unions than in hospitals without unions.  According to Professor Paul Clark, nurses, through their unions, improve patient care by negotiatin­g contracts that raise staff-to-p­atient ratios, limit excessive overtime and improving nurse training. 

Training


Several studies in have found a positive link between unionizati­on and the amount and quality of workforce training. Unionized workplaces are more likely to offer formal training and this is especially true for small firms. Workers, through their unions, often negotiate contracts that include training, and unions often hold their own training.


Read the Article at HuffingtonPost