News :: Labor
SECURITY OFFICERS UNION - SPFPA - JOIN US TODAY
The SPFPA has approximately 20,000 active members in the United States, SPFPA is the largest International Union of Security, Police and Fire Protection Officers in America today!
The SPFPA Union Advantage in Pay and Benefits
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation - March 2001 (June 29, 2001)
Union workers earn more Wages and benefits for the average union worker in the private sector totaled $27.80 an hour in March of 2001. That compares with a total compensation package of $19.98 an hour for the average nonunion worker.
Wages and salaries increase...
The wage and salary portion of the average union worker's pay package rose from $16.87 an hour in March 2000 to $18.36 an hour in 2001. Wages and salaries for nonunion workers edged up more slowly, from $14.18 to $14.81 an hour. It would take a 24 percent pay hike for the average nonunion worker to equal the pay of the average union member.
...but benefits are the biggest union advantage
Benefits, though, are where the biggest union advantage lies. Across the board - but particularly when it comes to pensions and health care - union members enjoy a better benefit package than their nonunion counterparts. On average, negotiated benefits are worth $7.11 an hour for union workers, versus less than half that amount - just $3.53 an hour - for nonunion workers.
Retirement benefits for union workers far surpass those of nonunion workers.
The retirement and savings benefits received by union workers are worth an average of $1.52 an hour. For nonunion workers, the figure is just 51 cents. While defined benefit pension plans account for the bulk of union retirement benefits, they are virtually nonexistent for nonunion workers. But the union advantage isn't limited to traditional defined-benefit pensions - even 401(k)s and other defined contribution plans are better for union workers. The average union worker has a defined contribution plan worth 45 cents an hour, versus 40 cents an hour for the average nonunion worker.
More vacation, holidays and sick leave
Union workers receive more vacation, holiday and sick leave than nonunion workers do. The total value of paid leave for a union worker is $1.92 an hour, compared with $1.31 an hour for a nonunion worker.
Union advantage holds across occupations and industries
Blue-collar workers in manufacturing enjoy a substantial advantage from union representation - but so do workers in non-manufacturing settings. In fact, the union advantage holds across occupations and industries. For example, union workers in protective service jobs (such as security guards and corrections officers) earn $786 per week, compared with $502 for nonunion workers. That's a difference of 57 percent. Unionized clerical workers earn 29 percent more than clerical workers who do not have the advantage of union representation.
Union jobs are more stable
Although nearly 50 percent of union workers have been with their current employers for at least 10 years, only 22 percent of nonunion workers can make the same claim. Union workers have greater job stability, in part because they're more satisfied with their jobs, receive better pay, have better benefits and have access to fair bargaining agreements.
Even more important, most collective bargaining agreements protect union members from unjust discharge. Nonunion workers are "employees at will" who can be fired at any time for any reason - or for no reason.
The SPFPA has approximately 20,000 active members in the United States, SPFPA is the largest International Union of Security, Police and Fire Protection Officers in America today!
Specializing in the following Departments
Court Security Officers
Federal, State and County Buildings
GSA Governmental Contracts
Department of Defense NASA/Aerospace
Department of Energy/ Nuclear Regulatory
Correctional Facilities
Casino Hotel Industry Police
Currency and Security Handlers
Commercial Arts/ Entertainment Security
Homeland Security
Airports
Commercial Buildings
Industrial Industries
Sea Ports and Docks
Hospitals and Medical Institutions
GM / Chrysler Plants Automotive Facilities
Disney
Boeing
For More Information on Joining SPFPA Please Contact Steve Maritas SPFPA Organizing Director at 1-800-228-7492 or Visit our Website at SPFPA.ORG