So-called “Right-to-Work” laws and the vilification of unions by conservatives are having their intended effect. The declining percentage of workers belonging to unions has resulted in lower wages, not just for union members, but for non-union workers as well.
“…private-sector union decline since the late 1970s has contributed to substantial wage losses among workers who do not belong to a union. This is especially true for men. And most hurt by the decades-long decline in the nation’s labor movement are those nonunion men who did not complete college, or go beyond high school—groups with the largest erosion of union membership over the last few decades.”
A study by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank, reports that non-union wages would be five percent higher if union participation had remained at 1979 levels. The percentage is higher for those lacking college educations; even higher for those without high-school diplomas.
