Although union membership has been declining overall, the number of women union members continues to increase. Currently, 37 percent of union membership are women. The proportion of women workers who are union members increased from 16.3 percent in 1965 to 19.3 percent in 1975 and fell to 14 percent in 1990; 7.4 million women were represented by…

Recent developments in equal pay, equal employment opportunities, women's involvement in trade unions, and the impact of women's work on family life and national development are reviewed. (SK)

Analysis of Industry Wage Survey data from nine manufacturing industries indicated that unionization made the gender wage gap considerably smaller in six industries. In the other three, the overall proportion of women in the industry and the characteristics of unions may contribute to the disparity. (Contains 68 references.) (SK)

A study used data for the 1987 calendar year from the 1986 and 1987 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to examine the impact of union membership on women's wages and job tenure. The data set included 17,200 sample members, representing about 79 million workers, aged 16-64. The study mapped the distribution of union…

Data on women in labor unions in 1988 reveal the following facts: (1) women are becoming an increasingly important part of membership in organized labor, as the total number of workers in unions declines; (2) in 1988, nearly 6 million of the 47.5 million employed women in the United States, or about 13 percent, were members of unions; (3) since…

Stating that women workers generally earn less than their male colleagues, this article examines these inequities as experienced by library employees, noting job evaluation studies, library-based comparable worth studies, and federal response in Canada and the United States. Organizations to contact for help are listed and two footnotes are…

A study used data from the 1998 Current Population Survey to document job growth in the public and private sectors and examine the quality of jobs in terms of wages and benefits. Findings indicated public sector employment declined for both women and men during the period from 1979-98 with a somewhat sharper decline among men. In 1998, median…

Examines the history of comparable worth, the questions it raises (such as sex discrimination), and the solutions being proposed. These solutions include involving unions in raising pay levels of certain jobs, changing the attitudes of management towards women and "women's work," and broadening women's career outlooks. (CT)

Integrates the major conclusions of the papers on comparable worth in this special issue, and identifies additional relevant issues. Covers the following major topics: (1) history and conceptual issues; (2) social psychological aspects to pay equity; (3) job evaluation issues and applications; and (4) policy implementation and implications. (JS)

Discusses steps employers can take to prevent female clerical workers from wanting to join labor unions. These steps include reviewing the company's employment practices to ensure compliance on sex fairness issues; reviewing pay practices; reviewing the company's position regarding sexual harassment; reviewing benefits and personnel policies; and…

This document contains 29 statistical tables grouped into five sections: "General Statistics,""Occupations and Earnings,""Earnings of Selected Professional Occupations,""Women and Higher Education," and "Family Income and Composition." Among the tables are those that show the following: (1) 1991 annual average U.S. civilian work force by…

Although midlife and older women comprise an increasing portion of the work force, gains in work force participation will not mean a decent living, security, or equal opportunity in the workplace of the future. Several factors influence the wage gap for older women: higher education does not mean higher earnings; women are less likely than men to…

This manual was prepared to provide union leaders, organizers, and local officers with information about the experiences of Asian-American, Black, Hispanic-American, female, and part-time workers. The Asian-American workers section includes information on Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Koreans, Asian-Indians, Southeast Asians, and Pacific Islanders…

This book contains 10 papers exploring the effects of race, ethnicity, and class on women in the workplace. The following papers are included: "Series Editors' Introduction" (Ann Stromberg, Barbara A. Gutek, Laurie Larwood); "Introduction" (Elizabeth Higginbotham). The book is organized in four parts. Part I, "Historical…

The rising wage inequality in U.S. urban labor markets during the 1980s was examined in a study of 20 metropolitan area labor markets. The study's perspective differs from the prevailing perspective on the problem in three ways: (1) it focuses on changes in the wage structure in a sample of local labor markets; (2) it examines changes in the…