Union workers are more likely than their nonunion counterparts to be covered by health insurance, and to receive pension benefits and paid sick leave, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. In March 2009, 78 percent of union workers were covered by health insurance through their jobs, compared with only 51 percent of nonunion workers.

As the chart below illustrates, 87 percent of union workers participate in pension plans versus 51 percent of nonunion workers. Seventy-seven percent of union workers participate in defined-benefit pension plans, compared with 20 percent of nonunion workers. (Defined-benefit plans are federally insured and provide a guaranteed monthly pension amount. They are better for workers than defined-contribution plans, in which the balance in a worker's account fluctuates depending on how well the underlying investments perform, and the monthly payment amount is uncertain.) Also, 82 percent of union workers have paid sick leave compared to 63 percent of nonunion workers.

MEDIAN WEEKLY EARNINGS OF FULL-TIME
WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS, 2009