How unions are increasing their power in the 2024 presidential election

In September, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters shocked the political world when it decided not to endorse either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump. Union support can make a significant difference in close elections.

While union members make up a small portion of the overall electorate, they can help make or break a campaign in swing states. Union workers make up 1 in 5 voters in three battleground states. According to the AFL-CIO, largest federation of labor groups in the US

Historically, labor unions have been allies of Democratic politicians. Over the past two decades, the Teamsters have supported every major Democratic presidential candidate.

Which candidates did the Teamsters support or pass over?

Although the Teamsters did not endorse Harris, the United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers and AFL-CIO supported the Democratic candidate.

The Drivers represent more than 1 million truck drivers, warehouse workers, police officers and others. The AFL-CIO represents nearly 13 million workers in its federation of 60 unions.

Most union members support the Democratic Party

According to research from the Center for American Progress.

Working-class union voters were more likely to vote for the Democratic candidate in 2020 and 2022 than in 2016 and 2018, the report found.

Recent Pew Research Center Poll found that about half of union voters would support Harris if the election were held today. And 43% said they would support Trump. Another 6% said they would support a third-party candidate.

Paul ClarkProfessor of the Department of Labor and Labor Relations Pennsylvania State University told Penn State News that “unions and their members will play a critical role in the 2024 elections.” In the previous two presidential elections, Trump was able to attract working-class votes, including union members.

“While nearly 60% of union members and their families voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in 2012, that number dropped to 51% in 2016, enough to ensure Trump’s election,” Clark said.

Three of the seven swing states have higher union density than the rest of the country. This is reported by the Center for American Progress.. In Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania, at least 12% of workers are union members. Biden won by less than 3% in these three swing states.

How many people are in trade unions?

40 years ago, almost a quarter of the workforce belonged to a union. Now this figure is just over 10%.

Although worker layoffs continue, union rates have been steadily declining for decades. From 1983 to 2022, union membership fell by half, from 20.1% to 10.1%.

“Union density reached more than 30% in the postwar decades, in the 1950s and 1960s,” said Kent Wong, director of the UCLA Labor Center.

US labor laws make it difficult for employees to form unions: More than two dozen states passed “right to work” laws that make it difficult for workers to organize into unions. These laws provide union representation to non-union members in union workplaces: no requirement to pay union dues. It also gives workers the opportunity to join or leave a union.

About 35% of protective services workers were represented by a union. This includes corrections officers, police, firefighters and security guards. They had the highest union membership rate of any worker. Education, training and library professions came in second at 33.7%, According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Assistance: Carissa Waddick and Rebecca Morin