Chicago, IL
Women are nearly half the workforce and are disproportionately employed in growing industries. For the last 25 years, women have outpaced men as new members of unions and organizing campaigns among workforces which are a majority of women are more likely to succeed. Working women are a critical source of growth for the labor movement.
Despite the apparent readiness among women workers to organize, the labor movement is confronted by two stubborn problems which threaten our ability to grow and thrive: 1) organizing campaigns are difficult to win and women are sometimes reluctant to become involved in organizing due to both practical and more deep-seated problems; and 2) despite the growth of women as union members, and the increase of women at lower levels of leadership, women are significantly under-represented as leaders throughout the labor movement.
The AFL-CIO will undertake a research project, including focus groups among union and non-union women workers, to gain insight into the factors which inhibit women from seeking unionization or becoming involved in union campaigns, and the factors which inhibit women from becoming more involved in their unions and taking on leadership positions, and make recommendations on how to address these important issues.