DOL Calls Unions Key to Women’s Prosperity

Labor unions play a significant role in advancing women’s economic prosperity by securing paid leave benefits and flexible work schedules, Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said at a Labor Department summit June 15.

“Throughout our history there’s been a direct link between a vibrant labor movement and a strong middle class. That is not a talking point, we have the data to back it up,” Perez said at the summit titled “The Power of Women’s Voices.”

The union advantage is “even more pronounced for women,” with union-represented female workers earning 13 percent more than women not in unions, he said. Union-represented ...