Minnesota gained 46,000 union members last year, reversing decade-long decline

[Omaha Steve]

January 19, 2018 by Union Advocate

Working people’s voice grew stronger last year in Minnesota, where organizing gains pushed union membership to its highest point since 2004, according to federal data released today.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual report on union membership shows Minnesota gained 46,000 union members from 2016 to 2017, the largest year-to-year gain since 2000. The state’s union population, 411,000, was at its highest since 2004.

Union members grew as a share of Minnesota’s total workforce as well. Union density increased from 14.2 percent to 15.2 percent in 2017, its highest point since 2010.

The report shows Minnesota unions are reversing a trend of decline that began over a decade ago.

FULL story: https://advocate.stpaulunions.org/2018/01/19/minnesota-gained-46000-union-members-last-year-reversing-decade-long-decline/?link_id=0&can_id=a9cf23302332fb8fa0573509116ae7fe&source=email-labor-update-130&email_referrer=email_289490&email_subject=labor-update