CINCINNATI — Union membership rates across the United States hit the lowest on record in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This follows a decades-long downward trend of rates, but some local union leaders think the tide is turning.
Approval of labor unions was at its highest point since 1965, according to a 2022 Gallup poll. A local labor leader sees the 71% approval rating as promising.
"I think what you're going to begin to see is that trend we've seen over the last few years of organizing, is going to continue to grow," Brian Griffin with the Cincinnati AFL-CIO said.
The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows union membership grew slightly from 12% to 12.8% percent.
One local union leader said it's from focusing on recruiting, especially in traditionally underserved communities.
"We just took in our largest apprenticeship class in the history of Local 392. We took in almost 90 brand new apprentices this year," said Bill Froehle, the business manager for the Plumbers, Pipefitters, Mechanical Equipment Service Local Union No. 392.
At first glance, the national data shows the exact opposite happening. Nationally, union membership rates declined from 10.3% in 2021 to 10.1% in 2022, continuing a downward trend since the early 80s, when the first comparable data became available.
It's more complicated than this, though.
There was an increase in the number of people who were union members in 2022, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics said there was a disproportionately large increase in the number of employees overall, leading to the rate decrease.
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