Washington, D.C. -Given the well-documented benefits of belonging to a union, it should come as no surprise that union membership affects the well-being of union members themselves. But a recent report from Notre Dame professors Patrick Flavin and Benjamin Radcliff, and Alexander Pacek of Texas A&M University, offers statistical evidence that the positive impact of higher union density extends far beyond employees covered by a union contract.

As it turns out, a causal relationship between union density and happiness plays out on a national scale. On average, in countries with a higher percentage of the workforce in unions, life satisfaction is higher for union members and non-union members alike.

That’s the good news, and it’s a clear rebuttal to the played-out, anti-union noise coming from Big Business this election season. The bad news is that the United States ranked near the bottom in both categories, with low union density causing a decrease in overall satisfaction for U.S. residents.

We’ve got to make some serious changes if we want to turn those statistics, and our economy, around. As it stands, unscrupulous employers routinely break the law to prevent their employees from forming a union, and that depresses pay, benefits, workplace conditions, and apparently happiness, across the board—for all workers. Statistics show that over one in three employers fire workers under the National Labor Relations Board election process. And for every worker fired, 395 more get the message: they could be next.

As evidence of unions’ far-reaching positive impact piles up, the attack against unions and working families has only grown more vehement. Enough is enough. If we’re serious about ensuring a happier future for America’s working women and men, in and out of unions, we have to protect workers’ rights to form a union and bargain collectively. The path has never been clearer.

Resources: