(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – A new report released by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) states rebuilding Worker Power by strengthening unions is not just good policy - it is a Democratic imperative in the face of authoritarian backsliding.

The EPI Study’s key findings include:

• In between 1979–2024, median wages rose more in States where Unionization declined less. 
• The productivity-pay gap has grown more slowly in States with smaller declines in Unionization since 1979. In these States, it wasn’t just corporations and the wealthy who benefited from economic growth, but also Working People, both Unionized and Non-Unionized. 
• In high Union-Density States, 2023 median household income was on average more than $12,000 higher than in low Union-Density States. 
• In recent years, the average Unemployment Insurance (UI) recipiency rate in high Union-Density States was 36% - double the 18% UI recipiency rate in low Union-Density States.
• In States with higher Union Densities, the share of people without any form of health insurance was 5.7%. This rate was 9% in States with lower Union densities. 
• 70.6% of States with the highest Union Density have enacted Paid Sick Leave Legislation, compared with just 11.8% of low Union-Density States. 
• States with higher rates of Unionization spend substantially more per pupil on education than low Union-Density States ($22,777 per pupil vs. $15,568).
• Since 2021, low Union-Density States have passed 44 Voter Restriction Laws, whereas high Union-Density States passed six such laws. 

Why This Matters: Unions don’t just improve Workers’ paychecks - they shape the social and political fabric of the communities they operate in, lifting standards for Union and Non-Union Workers alike. 

To Read This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: Unions aren’t just good for workers—they also benefit communities and democracy | Economic Policy Institute