FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY

On Tuesday, August 30 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, the Economic Policy Institute will host a conference call discussion on new research showing the cost of the decline in union density to nonunion workers. A new paper, Union decline lowers wages of nonunion workers: The overlooked reason why wages are stuck and inequality is growing, from Washington University sociologist Jake Rosenfeld and co-authors Jennifer Laird and Patrick Denise, will be released the morning of the teleconference.

This is the first study providing a broad estimate of the wage decline for nonunion workers as the result of the erosion of unions. The paper finds that for nonunion private-sector men, weekly wages would be an estimated 5 percent ($52) higher in 2013 if private-sector union density (the share of workers in similar industries and regions who are union members) remained at its 1979 level. Further, while the effects of union decline have not had as substantial effects on women, wages would be 2 to 3 percent (about $14) higher for nonunion women.

The authors, along with EPI President Lawrence Mishel, will discuss the economic impact of union decline on the wages of nonunion workers.

What: Release of new EPI paper, Union decline lowers wages of nonunion workers: The overlooked reason why wages are stuck and inequality is growing, and conference call on new research around the effects of low union density on nonunion workers’ wages.

Who: Jake Rosenfeld, Associate Professor of Sociology at Washington University, author of What Unions No Longer Do and co-author of Union decline lowers wages of nonunion workers.

Jennifer Laird, postdoctoral research scientist at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University and co-author of Union decline lowers wages of nonunion workers.

Lawrence Mishel, EPI President and co-author of The State of Working America.

When: Tuesday, August 30

11:30 a.m. Eastern

Where: Conference call. RSVP to news@epi.org for call-in number.