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List of labor unions in the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Unions exist to represent the interests of workers, who form the membership. Under US labor law, the National Labor Relations Act 1935 is the primary statute which gives US unions rights. The rights of members are governed by the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act 1959. List Below

Largest unions

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Name est. Members (approx) Description Constitution Website
National Education Association 1857 3,000,000+[1] Public school employees including but not limited to teachers, Education Support Professionals, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, guidance counselors, nurses, administrative assistants, secretaries, psychologists, and librarians. 2019 NEA
Service Employees International Union 1921 1,901,161[2] RNs, professional, technical and non-professional health care workers; public employees; janitorial and security employees. 2012 SEIU
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees 1932 1,459,511 Employees of state, county, and municipal governments. 2012 AFSCME
Teamsters 1903 1,400,000 Full name: International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Truck drivers; warehouse workers; miscellaneous trades. 2016 Teamsters
United Food and Commercial Workers 1979 1,300,000 Retail store and distribution employees. 2008 UFCW
United Auto Workers 1935 990,000 Full name: International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. Automobile, truck, farm equipment, and construction equipment manufacturing workers. 2010 UAW
United Steelworkers 1942 860,264[3] Steel mill workers; related trades. USW
American Federation of Teachers 1916 1,700,000 [4] Public school teachers, RNs, professional, technical and non-professional health care workers. 2022 AFT
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 1891 820,000 Electrical manufacturing workers; electric utility workers. 2012 IBEW
Laborers' International Union of North America 1903 669,772 Miscellaneous construction workers; other trades. 2022 LIUNA
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 1888 653,781 Aircraft manufacturing workers; aircraft maintenance and repair workers. 2017 IAM
Communications Workers of America 1947 545,638 Telecommunication, customer service, broadcasting, public sector, healthcare and other workers. 2013 CWA
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America 1881 522,416 Building industry carpenters and millwrights. 2015 UBC
International Longshore and Warehouse Union 1937 424,579 Freight handlers at ports. 2016 ILWU
International Union of Operating Engineers 1896 392,584 Operators of construction equipment; stationary engineers. 2015 IUOE
United Association 1889 324,043 Full name: United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada. 2021 UA
National Association of Letter Carriers 1889 292,221 United States Postal Service mail delivery workers in urban areas. 2016 NALC
American Federation of Government Employees 1932 289,023 Miscellaneous U.S. federal government workers. 2012 AFGE
American Postal Workers Union 1971 286,700 United States Postal Service workers other than letter carriers. APWU
International Association of Fire Fighters 1918 331,003 Professional firefighters and emergency medical service workers. 2021 IAFF
UNITE HERE 2004 301,886[5] Hotel, casino, restaurant, and commercial food service workers and garment manufacturing employees. Formerly UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees) and HERE, merged in 2004. 2024 UNITE HERE
National Postal Mail Handlers Union 1912 269,204 A division of LIUNA. United States Postal Service workers other than letter carriers. 2022 NPMHU
Amalgamated Transit Union 1892 190,000 Mass transit service workers. 2022 ATU
American Nurses Association 1897 152,294 Professional association for registered nurses. ANA
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees 1893 160,000[citation needed] Non-performing entertainment workers in Theater, Motion Picture & Television, & Trade Shows IATSE
International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers 1888 148,806 SMART
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades 1887 127,278 Construction-industry painters, glaziers, drywall finishers, sign & display workers. 2020 IUPAT
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers 1896 125,437 2021 IW
Transport Workers Union of America 1934 125,398 Mass transit, railroad, and airline workers. 2017 TWU
Office and Professional Employees International Union 1945 105,000 White-collar workers in the public and private sector. OPEIU
National Rural Letter Carriers' Association 1903 104,717 United States Postal Service mail delivery workers in rural areas. 2017 NRLCA

AFL-CIO

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This is a list of AFL–CIO affiliated member unions:

Strategic Organizing Center

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Independent

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National
State and Local

Professional sports labor unions

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Name Year
established
Affiliation League(s)
National Basketball Players Association 1954 Independent National Basketball Association
National Football League Players Association 1956 AFL-CIO National Football League
Major League Baseball Players Association 1966 Independent Major League Baseball
National Hockey League Players Association 1967 Independent National Hockey League
Professional Hockey Players' Association 1967 Independent American Hockey League
ECHL
Professional Lacrosse Players' Association 1991 Independent National Lacrosse League
MLS Players Association 2003 Independent Major League Soccer
Women's National Basketball Players Association 1998 Independent Women's National Basketball Association
National Women's Soccer League Players Association 2015 Independent National Women's Soccer League

Union Reform Groups

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ According to NEA.org
  2. ^ US Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. File number 000-137. Report submitted March 30, 2017.
  3. ^ Office of Labor-Management Standards. Employment Standards Administration. U.S. Department of Labor. Form LM-2 labor Organization Annual Report. United Steelworkers of America. File Number: 000-094. Dated March 31, 2009".
  4. ^ "American Federation of Teachers".
  5. ^ "Who We Are".