Union members enjoy several benefits, here a just a few:
Better pay: Health professionals in unions earn 11 percent more on average than similar workers without unions. Stronger unions set wage standards that help all health professionals.
Better benefits: Ninety percent of union workers participate in a retirement plan (of any kind), compared with 75 percent of nonunion workers.Unionized health professionals are 60 percent more likely to have employer-provided pensions or individual retirement accounts. Click here to learn more from the Economic Policy Institute.
Better job security: Connecticut is an “at will” state, meaning you can be fired for any or no reason, but with a union contract, health professionals have “just cause” protections that shield them against discriminatory disciplinary actions and terminations. Click here to learn more from the pro-working people media source Labor Notes.
Better patient care: When health professionals are able to bargain with their employer, they raise the standard of patient care and improve patient outcomes. Click here to learn more from a report by the Institute for the Study of Labor.
Better advocacy: AFT Connecticut is the largest representative of acute care hospital professionals in Connecticut. The state federation also represents health professionals in other settings, like school and campus-based clinics, community health centers and in home healthcare. Click here to learn more about AFT Connecticut’s healthcare workforce representation.