No wonder unions are desperate for EFCA…
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics
The total number of elections declined 60 percent over the 1997-2009 period, from 3,261 to 1,304. The number of elections won in favor of union representation during that time declined 48 percent, from 1,656 to 864. This is a slower rate than the decline in the total number of elections, resulting in an overall increase in the percent of elections won in favor of union representation, from 51 percent in 1997 to 66 percent in 2009
Table 1 also shows that the number of employees eligible to vote in elections decreased 69 percent, from 224,262 in 1997 to 69,832 in 2009. While the number of employees eligible to vote in elections won by unions has fluctuated from year to year, overall it declined by 51 percent. Despite the decrease, the data show that, if an employee was involved in a union representation election, the employee was more likely to gain union representation in 2009 than in 1997. In addition, there is a greater tendency for employees to choose union representation when two or more unions are seeking certification than when only one union is seeking certification.
Table 2 shows that, in 1997, barely 50 percent of elections to certify one union were won in favor of union representation; this percentage increased to over 64 percent in 2009. The average over the period was approximately 54 percent.
| Year | Total number of elections to certify one union | Number of elections to certify one union that won in favor of union representation | Percent of elections to certify one union that won in favor of union representation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1997 |
3,165 | 1,580 | 49.9 |
|
1998 |
3,195 | 1,626 | 50.9 |
|
1999 |
2,901 | 1,473 | 50.8 |
|
2000 |
2,784 | 1,421 | 51 |
|
2001 |
2,455 | 1,309 | 53.3 |
|
2002 |
2,528 | 1,367 | 54.1 |
|
2003 |
2,261 | 1,263 | 55.9 |
|
2004 |
2,161 | 1,203 | 55.7 |
|
2005 |
1,963 | 1,127 | 57.4 |
|
2006 |
1,533 | 893 | 58.3 |
|
2007 |
1,397 | 793 | 56.8 |
|
2008 |
1,482 | 936 | 63.2 |
|
2009 |
1,199 | 769 | 64.1 |
|
Total, 1997 to 2009 |
29,024 | 15,760 | 54.3 |
|
Note: These data do not include decertification elections, which are elections that remove all union representation from the employees. |
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Source: National Labor Relations Board. |
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So, it’s a numbers game.
Perhaps union bosses should spend more of their resources on doing their jobs than on buying politicians.
More here.
