Unions Make a Big Difference for Latinos
October 15, 2015
While overall, 40% of Latino workers earn poverty level wages, Latinos earn more and have more protections when they belong to a union, according to a report by the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA).
40% of Latino workers earn poverty level wages. But research suggests unions can help.
When Latino men and women are unionized, they earn nearly one third more than non-unionized Latino workers.
But those numbers are even bleaker for Latinas, who statistically earn only 56 cents for each dollar earned by a white man—constituting the biggest wage theft in the nation. These facts suggest unionizing can help bridge the gender pay gap for those who need it most.
Good news! At a time when unionization rates have been decreasing across the country, Latino membership across unions has been increasing in the past few years—especially among women.
Source: Latino Workers and Unions: A Strategic Partnership for America's Progress. Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (October 2015). Retrieved October 15, 2015.
