Women in the Retail Food Industry: The Union Advantage

Wages

• Wages for unionized women workers in the retail food industry are 1/3 higher than nonunion women working in the retail food industry.
• Unionized women in the retail food industry, on average, make about $5,400 more annually than non-union women workers. Over 20 years, the difference is about $100,000.

Health Insurance Coverage

• Unionized women workers in the retail food industry are more than twice as likely than nonunion women workers to have health insurance.
• Unionized part-time single moms in the retail food industry are more than three times more likely to have health insurance than similar nonunion moms.

Health Insurance Contribution

• The average employer contribution to health insurance for unionized women retail food workers is more than three times higher than for non-union women workers.
• The average employer contribution to health insurance for part-time unionized women workers in the retail food industry is four times higher than for nonunion part-time women workers in the industry.
• The average employer contribution to health insurance for unionized single moms who work part-time in retail food is six times higher than for their nonunion counterparts.

Pensions

• Unionized women workers in the retail food industry are more than twice as likely to receive a pension than nonunion women.
• Unionized part-time women workers in the retail food industry are more than three times as likely to receive a pension than similar nonunion women.

  (Institute for Women's Policy Research)

• Institute for Women's Policy Research--Report Summary