In West Virginia, young workers who belong to unions earn almost $4 more in hourly wages than young workers who are not represented by unions, a new study shows.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In West Virginia, young workers who belong to unions earn almost $4 more in hourly wages than young workers who are not represented by unions, a new study shows.
The median hourly wage earned by a typical union worker between the ages of 18 and 29 was $14.12 in 2007, according to a new study released jointly by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, based in Charleston, and the Center for Economic and Policy Research, based in Washington, D.C.
The median hourly wage for a young non-union worker in the Mountain State was $10.21 in 2007, the study says.
Ted Boettner, executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy, said, "Despite having more high school and college educated young workers than ever in West Virginia, they've seen their wages decrease by 25 percent over the last 30 years after adjusting for inflation."
The study - "Unions and Upward Mobility for Younger Workers" - also found young workers in unions are much more likely to have health insurance benefits from their employers, as well as pension plans.
Low-wage young workers in unions are 27 percent more likely to have employer-provided health insurance and 26 percent more likely to have company pension plans.
"This study makes it real clear: Belonging to a union is one of the best ways for young people to not only increase their pay, but to ensure that they have benefits like health care and a pension as well," Boettner said.
John Schmitt, an economist at CEPR who wrote the study, said unionization helps workers in the 15 lowest-paying occupations. They earned 10.2 percent more than their non-union counterparts.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In West Virginia, young workers who belong to unions earn almost $4 more in hourly wages than young workers who are not represented by unions, a new study shows.
The median hourly wage earned by a typical union worker between the ages of 18 and 29 was $14.12 in 2007, according to a new study released jointly by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, based in Charleston, and the Center for Economic and Policy Research, based in Washington, D.C.
The median hourly wage for a young non-union worker in the Mountain State was $10.21 in 2007, the study says.
Ted Boettner, executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy, said, "Despite having more high school and college educated young workers than ever in West Virginia, they've seen their wages decrease by 25 percent over the last 30 years after adjusting for inflation."
The study - "Unions and Upward Mobility for Younger Workers" - also found young workers in unions are much more likely to have health insurance benefits from their employers, as well as pension plans.
Low-wage young workers in unions are 27 percent more likely to have employer-provided health insurance and 26 percent more likely to have company pension plans.
"This study makes it real clear: Belonging to a union is one of the best ways for young people to not only increase their pay, but to ensure that they have benefits like health care and a pension as well," Boettner said.
John Schmitt, an economist at CEPR who wrote the study, said unionization helps workers in the 15 lowest-paying occupations. They earned 10.2 percent more than their non-union counterparts.
The 15 lowest-paying occupations include food preparation workers, cashiers, cafeteria workers, child-care workers, cooks, housekeeping cleaners and home-care aides.
Also: packers and packagers, janitors, grounds maintenance workers, nursing and home-health aides, stock clerks, teachers' assistants, laborers and freight workers, and security guards.
Today, these occupations represent about 15 percent of all jobs in the United States today, Schmitt noted.
More education has failed to increase wages in the state, the study says.
In 1979, 11 percent of West Virginia's labor force held four-year degrees. By 2007, nearly 21 percent had earned college degrees, Boettner said.
Yet young workers today earn about 10 percent less than their counterparts earned in 1979, in wages adjusted for inflation, despite their major education gains.
Schmitt said, "Even though they've done everything right - finished high school and college at higher rates than in the past, young workers have been the hardest hit by stagnant and declining wages over the last 30 years."
Reach Paul J. Nyden at pjny...@wvgazette.com or 348-5164.
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Walk Tall ? Carry A Big Stick ?,, I would say to do that, you would have to throw the present corrupt bum leaders out, and then find a "honest" man from the union rank and file that understands the unions membership ! These present union leaders have the membership snowed !
And you had better hurry, cause unions is losing ground everyday. Their dishonesty and total corruption has caught up wih them !
They don't complain because they are happy with their jobs, wages and benefits. The hard nosed union coal miners days are about over with. the data shows a decline in UMW membership. And Nyden knows this ! Personally I lov to see all of todays unions disappear, and Nyden can then write the obituary column for the Gazette .
A big disnomer Nyden is a paid investigative reporter, What does he investigate. ? To bad he is not a Woodword or Bernstien. And with these two guys, thats what I call a investigative reporting !