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How unions use their power in the 2024 presidential election

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How unions use their power in the 2024 presidential election

In September, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters shocked the political world when it decided to endorse neither Vice President Kamala Harris nor former President Donald Trump. The support of a union can make a significant difference in a close election.

Although union members make up only a small portion of the overall electorate, they can help make or break a campaign in swing states. According to the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor groups in the U.S., union workers make up 1 in 5 voters in three battleground states.

Historically, unions have been allies of Democratic politicians. Over the past two decades, the Teamsters have supported every major Democratic presidential candidate.

Which candidates have the Teamsters endorsed – or skipped?

Although the Teamsters did not endorse Harris, the United Auto Workers, the United Steelworkers and the AFL-CIO have endorsed the Democratic candidate.

The Teamsters represent more than 1 million truck drivers, warehouse workers, police officers and others. The AFL-CIO represents nearly 13 million workers in their federation of 60 unions.

The majority of union members affiliate with the Democratic Party

In the 2020 presidential election, 60% of voters represented by a union cast their vote for Biden, according to research by the Center for American Progress.

The report shows that working-class voters are more likely to vote for a Democratic candidate in 2020 and 2022 than in 2016 and 2018.

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that about half of union voters would support Harris if the election were held today. And 43% said they would support Trump. Another 6% said they would support a third-party candidate.

Paul Clark, professor of labor and labor relations at Penn State University, told Penn State News that “unions and union members will play a critical role in the 2024 elections.” In the previous two presidential elections, Trump captured working-class votes, including union members.

“While nearly 60% of union members and their families voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in 2012, that number dropped to 51% in 2016, enough to secure Trump’s election,” Clark said.

Three of the seven swing states have higher union density compared to the rest of the country, the Center for American Progress reports. In Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania, at least 12% of workers belong to a union. Biden won in these three swing states by a margin of less than 3%.

How many people are members of a trade union?

Nearly a quarter of the workforce belonged to a union forty years ago. Now that number is just over 10%.

While labor stoppages have remained steady, unionization rates have been steadily declining for decades. From 1983 to 2022, union membership fell by half, from 20.1% to 10.1%.

“Union density peaked at over 30% in the post-World War II decades of the 1950s and 1960s,” said Kent Wong, director of the UCLA Labor Center.

Labor laws in the US make it harder for workers to form unions: More than 20 states have passed right-to-work laws that make it harder for workers to form unions. These laws provide union representation to non-union members in union workplaces – without requiring the payment of union dues. It also gives employees the option to join or opt out of a union

Nearly 35% of workers in protective service occupations were represented by a union. This includes corrections staff, police, fire brigade and security guards. They had the highest percentage of union members of any workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, teaching, training and library occupations followed with 33.7%.

Contributors: Karissa Waddick and Rebecca Morin

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