The number of union members continues to shrink in Indiana, according to new data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s despite the number of union-represented jobs rising.
According to the BLS, in 2019 there were 20,000 fewer union members in the state than the year before. However, even though fewer are paying membership dues, more Hoosier jobs were represented by unions than in 2018.
Brett Voorhies is the president of the Indiana AFL-CIO. He says Indiana’s right-to-work laws have contributed to the decline of workers paying membership dues, but they’re still getting a steady stream of calls for organizing.
“Our membership is somewhat older, but it’s coming back,” he says. “It’s becoming popular again. For some reason the Millennials do get it; they understand.”
Across the country, the data shows union membership declined slightly by 0.2 percent.
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