Which states are unionized

The Union states included the Northeast, which was industrialized and urbanized, providing more vital resources and manpower than the Confederacy. The Civil War. There were 20 Union states and five border states. Union States Show Source. State Pop. A database available for years since , based exclusively on the cps , provides a measure of union coverage density, representing the percentage of nonagricultural wage and salary workers covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

The databases will be updated annually and distributed freely via the Internet. A description of how the database was constructed is provided in:.

Barry T. Hirsch, David A. This allows employees to receive the benefits of the union contract without having to pay their share of dues and fees to the union. Essentially, these states allow workers to join a union if they wish, but employers cannot force or compel employees to join a union as a term or condition of employment.

In , the Taft-Hartley Act was passed which prohibited arrangements where employers agree to hire only unionized workers. In states without Right-to-Work laws, the workers covered by a union contract can refuse to join the union and then pay the fees associated with the workplace bargaining.

States with Right-to-Work laws require union contracts to cover all workers, not just the ones who are members of the union. Contrary to what proponents of Right-to-Work legislation have said in the past, non-Right-to-Work states do not force employees to unionize; this is strictly prohibited by federal law.

Currently, 28 states have Right-to-Work laws. Note: if your state is not listed, it does not currently have a right-to-work law, but this area is constantly changing, so please consult with an attorney in your state for additional information. Right to work laws vary from state to state but generally most employees working for private employers are covered along with public-sector unions. Workers in the railroad and airline industries are not covered. Opponents of Right-to-Work laws consider those laws to enable workers to be freeloaders, to enjoy the benefits of being a union member such as higher wages and job protections, but without paying any of the costs of collective bargaining.

In a recent case, Janus v.