Union membership has been declining in Indiana but seeing new signs of life (2024)

Union membership has continued to decline in Indiana and around the country over the past decade, but organized labor is enjoying historic highs of popularity and showing new signs of life.

Last year, 245,000 of Indiana's 3 million workers, roughly 8%, belonged to unions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unions represented about 278,000 workers statewide, or about 9.1% of the workforce.

That's down from a decade ago, when union members account for 9.3% of Indiana's workforce.

Last year, union members accounted for about 12.8% of workers in neighboring Illinois, and unions represented 13.6% of the workforce.

Nationally, more than 14.4 million workers nationwide belonged to unions, or about 10% of the workforce. That's down from 1980, when union members accounted for 20.1% of the workforce.

"Unions certainly increase the standard of living," United Steelworkers District 7 Director Mike Millsap said. "If you're working, you're making more money in a union shop than a nonunion shop. Even in the same business, union members have a much higher standard of living, more benefits, pensions and wages. Unions ensure fair treatment and benefits and safety."

After years of decline, unions won major wage increases from automakers last year and have been winning elections in workplaces like Amazon warehouses and Starbucks coffee shops.

"We certainly have momentum. We're winning campaigns," Millsap said. "We're gaining more interest from people. That's certainly encouraging. Organized labor has not grown a lot in recent years."

Fresh off last year's historic contracts at the Big Three automakers and a successful unionization drive at a southern auto plant, UAW members just won a record 25.4% wage increase, cost of living adjustment, elimination of the two-tier wage system, safety productions and additional time off after a strike at Cornell University.

“Workers at Cornell were fed up with being exploited and disrespected,” said UAW Local 2300 President Christine Johnson. “This agreement is going to mean a better life for the people who make Cornell run.”

Workers were paid less than $22 an hour and saw their buying power fall by 5% over the past five years while Cornell's endowment soared by 39% over that period. More than 94% of the workers voted for a strike.

“The workers at Cornell used their power to push back on Cornell’s arrogance and win a great contract,” said UAW Region 9 Director Daniel Vicente. “They stood together and showed the university that they were willing to do what was needed to win what they deserve.”

Gallup's annual Labor Day poll found 70% of Americans support unions, up from 67% last year and near an all-time high.

"My thought is this is a special Labor Day in terms of growth of the unions, even in right-to-work states where people are trying to keep us down," said Randy Palmateer, the business manager of the Northwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council. "More people are unionizing. The building trades are busier than they've ever been. But more and more 20-year-olds and 30-year-olds are unionizing outside of construction. The numbers are high everywhere."

Unions are gaining more women and minority members.

"It's not like the old days when your uncle was a tradesman and it was more like a country club," Palmateer said. "More people are unionizing, which has been good for us. We survived the repeal of the common wage, which was a direct attack on the building trades. We have a superior workforce and a superior product. We have project safety because we have the most highly trained workers."

More people are realizing unions help lift up workers everywhere, Palmateer said.

"In my 27 years this is the most excited I've been about a Labor Day," he said. "We're truly, truly blessed and happy that more people are seeing the light. Unions never hurt anybody. Unions help workers and rebuild the middle class. The middle class is coming back and that's a great thing."

There's currently a lot of work for the skilled building trades, including on cold storage warehouses, a trucking company, a hydrogen hub and a solar farm, Palmateer said. Many new warehouses and buildings are going up along Broadway. Cleveland-Cliffs and BP are planning projects.

"I'm optimistic. It feels good," he said. "Our guys know that after the job there will be another job. They won't get laid off for six months. Our guys are doing hard work. They're wearing work boots from when the sun comes up to when the sun goes down. They're working hard for their money and their families."

Many big projects are underway, like the $1.2 billion state prison in Westville, Palmateer said.

"There's all kinds of commercial work. There's an industrial boom. The future looks fantastic. I'm excited for the building trades," he said. "A rising tide lifts all ships. More disposable income benefits car dealers and restaurants. Our guys go out to eat. They can afford to eat out. They're not bringing peanut butter and jelly or bologna to the worksite. They're making more money and that's a good thing."