The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday that unions lost 612,000 members in 2010 (health care, economic)

[Wonderful Jellal]

WASHINGTON—U.S. labor unions underwent another membership decline last year even as the economic recovery began and job losses slowed.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday that unions lost 612,000 members in 2010. That drops the unionized share of the work force to 11.9% from 12.3% in 2009.
Union membership in the private sector fell from 7.2% to 6.9%, a low point not seen since the infancy of the labor movement in the 1930s. The steepest decline was among construction workers.


Labor-Union Membership Declined in 2010 - WSJ.com

[AuDiBelle]

Well I hope the decline is due to people being fed up with the unions and dropping their membership as opposed to people just losing their jobs. But, I have a feeling it's probably a combination of both.

[Kracer]

The ironworkers union just notified its retired members that they are dropping their medical coverage. not usre if this includes active members.

The union boss' belong to the international union and state union, collect two pensions and still have their health care. Members who worked in two locals and paid their dues for pension and medical apparently loose that money and are prohibitied from collecting two pensions.

The slimely way this info was imparted as it was burried in a form letter and only through the grapevine did the wod spread.

A meeting was held and turned out to be a product sales setup where the facilitators got paid by the number of members they pitched to. Imagine showing up for a meeting to find out what's going on and see tables set up and having to stand in line to receive two envelopes of medicade materials. Those guys are pissed.

[Wonderful Jellal]

Unions are not bad, just outdated.