What is a Union?

What is a union?

A union is an organization formed by workers who join together and use their strength to have a voice in their workplace. Through their union, workers can negotiate from a position of strength with employers over wages, benefits, workplace health and safety, job training and other work-related issues. Unions also make sure that management acts fairly and treats its workers with respect.

Unions are run by their members. Every leader is elected by the people they represent, and every contract is approved by a member vote.

Why do I need a union?

You work in public service because you care about your community. We can do more for our neighbors, our families, and each other when we act together. As a union, we gain the strength to make real change, and we speak with one voice that no one can ignore — not our bosses, not the people we serve, and not our elected officials at any level.

Do union workers get higher wages?

Yes. In 2025, union members working full time earned a median of $1,404 a week, compared with $1,174 for nonunion workers — about 20 percent more. That comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which notes that the gap also reflects differences in occupation, industry, age and location, not only the union contract.

Do union workers get better benefits?

Union workers are more likely than their nonunion counterparts to have health insurance and a retirement plan available through their job. Those benefits are written into the contract, so management cannot take them away on its own.

Why do I need a union now?

Some politicians and pundits like to blame public service workers for America’s problems. They say we earn too much, our benefits are too rich, and we have too much political power. They slash our budgets and take our pensions. They give our jobs away to private contractors who pay lower wages.

They want to privatize our jobs, strip us of our rights, and dismantle the services we provide to make our communities stronger and safer. No one who works for the public, no one who cares about supporting a family, and no one who cares about building a strong middle class should let that happen.

We have to act now to protect our rights and our ability to earn a decent living. That’s why helping more workers join unions and bargain for a better life is so important.

Public service workers are the backbone of the American middle class. As a union, we build support for the vital services we provide, and we make our families, our communities, and our country stronger.

What is collective bargaining and how does it work?

Collective bargaining is the process of negotiation between employees and their employer over wages, benefits, working conditions, and other terms of employment.

A committee of our co-workers — chosen by us — sits down with management as equals and hammers out an agreement, known as a union contract, on every issue that matters to our bargaining unit. The committee carries the united strength of all our members to the table.

A majority of members must vote to approve the agreement before it becomes a contract.

Does having a union mean there will be strikes?

No. A strike is one tactic available to workers to pressure their employer, and it is a tactic of last resort. The decision is always made locally, by members — never by anyone else.

Most AFSCME locals never need to strike. A strong, well-organized local usually wins a fair contract without one, because management knows its members are ready.

In August 2026, Local 2975 members voted by 90.2 percent to authorize our bargaining team to call a strike if it becomes necessary. That vote does not start a strike. To learn what it means and how to prepare, see Strike Readiness.

Ready to get involved?

Find out how to join, what membership includes, and how to take part at Membership and Getting Involved — or join Local 2975 now.