UNION ELECTION WIN RATE DROPS (02/01/2009)
The union win rate in elections conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decreased in 2007 from 2006, marking the end of 10 consecutive years in which unions improved their win rates, according to preliminary findings from the NLRB.
The number of resolved representation elections held in 2007 also decreased from 2006 levels, continuing an annual decline in NLRB-supervised elections held since 1996. The union win rate decreased slightly to 60.1 percent in 2007, down from 61.4 percent the year before. Unions have won more than half of all representation elections in each of the past 11 years. Of course, unions tend to only go forward with an election when they have favorable conditions and a likelihood of success.
The NLRB conducted 1,502 elections in 2007, compared with 1,657 in 2006. In 1996, about 3,300 elections were conducted by the agency. The number of elections won by unions also decreased to 902 in 2007 from 1,018 in 2006.
Of the 10 most active unions, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters led all other unions by participating in 407 representation elections, but this number is down from 426 in 2006. Their win rate also dropped to 48.6 percent last year from 49.1 percent in 2006. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) ranked a distant second in number of elections by participating in 136 elections, winning 72.8 percent in 2007. In 2006, the SEIU participated in 167 elections, winning 72.5 percent.
The NLRB statistics do not reflect the full extent of organizing being conducted by unions. Many unions organize largely though neutrality and card check recognition agreements and other methods.
