Labor unions are growing, but growth tracks state labor laws and politics

# Quick summary

# Where growth is happening The report links membership gains to state-level labor policy. States that protect or strengthen collective bargaining added roughly three times as many union members as right-to-work states. The analysis shows a strong difference in union density: about 14% of workers in collective-bargaining states belong to unions versus about 5% in right-to-work states.

The authors conclude state policy shapes worker organizing. Robert Bruno, who heads the labor education program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is quoted saying that anti-union policies suppress worker will, while policies that allow organizing see higher enrollment.

# Wages and the bargaining gap The report provides adjusted hourly earnings to compare pay across policy environments. After accounting for cost-of-living differences, average hourly earnings were estimated at $37.24 in collective-bargaining states and $34.16 in right-to-work states.

# Political and legal context Union membership remains well below mid-20th-century levels: in 1954 more than one-third of U.S. workers belonged to unions, compared with about 10% today. The report notes federal and state policy actions are mixed. Some Southern states have passed laws to curb union growth, while other states enacted measures that expand worker protections.

Recent state actions cited in the report that would expand collective bargaining or worker protections include:

• Illinois granting rideshare and gig drivers the right to organize and bargain collectively.
• Washington extending collective bargaining rights to certain university student employees.

# Counterarguments and debates cited

# What this means now Union membership is growing again, but the gains are uneven and closely tied to state law and politics. States that maintain or expand collective-bargaining rights show higher union density and higher adjusted average wages. Other states maintain lower levels of union membership and different legislative trajectories that limit organizing.

# Bottom line Union membership increased substantially last year, but state policy environments remain a primary mechanism shaping where and how unions grow. The trend highlights that worker organizing and earnings outcomes are being driven largely at the state level right now.