A graphic logo featuring a raised fist inside a circle with the words 'Union Strong' at the top and 'Solidarity' at the bottom, surrounded by five stars on each side.

Labor Unions Are Defenders of Democracy

Labor unions have historically played a vital role in fostering democracy,

acting as a collective voice for workers and advocating for economic and social justice. Labor unions stand as pillars of democracy, empowering workers to engage in the decision-making processes that shape their lives and communities. By uniting individuals in a shared pursuit of fairness, equality, and opportunity, unions strengthen the democratic fabric of our society. They champion the rights of the many, ensuring that all voices—regardless of socioeconomic status—are heard and valued in the pursuit of justice.

Join a Labor Union & support the cause today!

  • LIUNA – The Laborers’ International Union of North America:

    is a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build the United States and Canada. A half-million strong, we are united through collective bargaining agreements which help us earn family-supporting pay, good benefits and the opportunity for advancement and better lives.

    liuna.org

    International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers:

    Electrical manufacturing workers; electric utility workers.

    ibew.org

    American Federation of Teachers:

    Public school teachers, RNs, professional, technical and non-professional health care workers.

    aft.org

    The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) :

    works tirelessly to improve the lives of working people. We are the democratic, voluntary federation of 63 national and international labor unions that represent more than 15 million working people.

    aflcio.org

    National Education Association:

    Public school employees including but not limited to teachers, Education Support Professionals, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, guidance counselors, nurses, administrative assistants, secretaries, psychologists, and librarians.

    nea.org

    Service Employees International:

    RNs, professional, technical and non-professional health care workers; public employees; janitorial and security employees.

    seiu.org

    American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees:

    Employees of state, county, and municipal governments.

    afscme.org

    Teamsters Union:

    Full name: International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Truck drivers; warehouse workers; miscellaneous trades.

    teamster.org

    United Food and Commercial Workers:

    Retail store and distribution employees.

    ufcw.org

    United Auto Workers:

    International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. Automobile, truck, farm equipment, and construction equipment manufacturing workers.

    uaw.org

    United Steelworkers:

    Steel mill workers; related trades.

    usw.org

    International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers:

    Aircraft manufacturing workers; aircraft maintenance and repair workers.

    iamaw.org

    SAG-AFTRA:
    SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. With national offices in Los Angeles and New York, and local offices nationwide, SAG-AFTRA members work together to secure the strongest protections for media artists into the 21st century and beyond.

    sagaftra.org

    Communications Workers of America:

    Telecommunication, customer service, broadcasting, public sector, healthcare and other workers.

    Building industry carpenters and millwrights.

    cwa.org

    United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America:

    Building industry carpenters and millwrights.

    ubcja.org

    International Longshore and Warehouse Union:

    Freight handlers at ports.

    ilwu.org

    International Union of Operating Engineers:

    Operators of construction equipment; stationary engineers.

    iuoe.org

    United Association:

    Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada

    ua.org

    National Association of Letter Carriers:

    United States Postal Service mail delivery workers in urban areas.

    nalc.org

    American Federation of Government Workers:

    U.S. federal government workers.

    afge.org

    American Postal Workers Union:

    United States Postal Service workers other than letter carriers.

    apwu.org

    International Association of Fire Fighters:

    Professional firefighters and emergency medical service workers.

    iaff.org

    Unite Here:

    Hotel, casino, restaurant, and commercial food service workers and garment manufacturing employees. Formerly UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees) and HERE, merged in 2004.

    unitehere.org

    National Postal Mail Handlers Union:

    A division of LIUNA. United States Postal Service workers other than letter carriers.

    npmhu.org

    Amalgamated Transit Union:

    Mass transit service workers.

    atu.org

    American Nurses Association:

    Professional association for registered nurses.

    ana.org

    International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees:

    Non-performing entertainment workers in Theater, Motion Picture & Television, & Trade Shows

    iatse.org

    International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers:

    smart.org

    International Union of Painters and Allied Trades:

    Construction-industry painters, glaziers, drywall finishers, sign & display workers.

    iupat.org

    International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers:

    ironworkers.org/s/

    Transport Workers Union of America:

    Mass transit, railroad, and airline workers.

    twu.org

    Office and Professional Employees International Union:

    White-collar workers in the public and private sector.

    opeiu.org

    National Rural Letter Carriers Association:

    United States Postal Service mail delivery workers in rural areas.

    nrlca.org

    Boilermakers Union:

    The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers represents more than 50,000 skilled craftsmen and women and industrial workers who work in heavy industry, shipbuilding, manufacturing, railroads, cement, mining, and related industries. We construct and repair electric power plants, refineries, pulp and paper mills, and steel mills. We build naval ships and commercial tankers, repair locomotives, make cement, and mine coal, gypsum, and talc. We forge tools for industry and make consumer goods.

    boilermakers.org

    The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen:

    a Division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). The BLET is the senior national labor organization in the United States and also North America’s oldest rail labor union.

    ble-t.org

    Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen:

    a Division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). The BLET is the senior national labor organization in the United States and also North America’s oldest rail labor union.

    ble-t.org

    Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters:

    As a part of the Teamster Rail Division the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division continues the battle that John T. Wilson courageously fought in the face of so much opposition. Rail labor leaders continue the fight today for job security, better working conditions, fair wages and benefits, improved safety conditions and elimination of massive cutbacks. The benevolent society that started with a few trackmen on a hot July day in Alabama has shown that it can meet the challenges and problems of an ever-changing industry and will continue to protect its members' rights as it has for more than a century.

    bmwe.org

    American Train Dispatchers Association:

    The American Train Dispatchers Association is a craft labor union affiliated with the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO. Founded in 1917 in Spokane, Washington, ATDA is now headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, representing thousands of craft service railroaders across the United States.

    atda.org

    BCTGM-Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco and Grain Milling Union:

    The BCTGM International Union is amodern union with old-fashioned values. We are dedicated to giving workers in our industries a voice and a vote in their workplace. We believe that all workers should be treated with Dignity, Justice and Respect on the job.

    bctgm.org

    National Nurses United:

    National Nurses United, with more than 225,000 members nationwide, is the largest union and professional association of registered nurses in U.S. history. NNU is building nurse power from coast to coast.

    nationalnursesunited.org

    Actors' Equity Association:

    founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors' Equity is a member of the AFL-CIOand is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. 

    actorsequity.org

    Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers:

    Representing the most highly skilled trowel trades craftworkers across the United States and Canada including bricklayers, stone and marble masons, cement masons, plasterers, tile setters, terrazzo and mosaic workers, and pointers/ cleaners/ caulkers. With over a century of protecting the rights of our workers, BAC is the oldest continuous union in North America.

    bacweb.org

    IAHFIAW-The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers:

    The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (IAHFIAW or Insulators) is a trade union in the United States and Canada.
    The primary focus of the union is to assist its membership in securing employment, to defend their rights and advance their interests as working men and women, and by education and cooperation, raise them to that position in society to which they are justly entitled.

    insulators.org

    United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers:

    The union represents members who apply all types of roofing and waterproofing systems, including but not limited to all low-sloped roofing systems (vegetative and solar photovoltaic roofs), structural waterproofing, steep-sloped roofing systems, air barrier applications, and building envelopes.

    unionroofers.com

    National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians–Communications Workers of America (NABET-CWA):

    Representing more than 10,000 workers in broadcasting and related industries. As a sector of our parent union, CWA, we have the support of another 650,000 members in telecommunications, newspapers, manufacturing, state and local government, nursing, policing and many other fields.

    nabetcwa.org

    National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE):

    A national union representing approximately 110,000 blue- and white-collar government workers across the United States. Ratifying its constitution on September 17, 1917, NFFE was the first union to represent federal employees.

    nffe.org

    National Treasury Employees Union:

    Our mission: To organize federal employees to work together to ensure that every federal employee is treated with dignity and respect. We fight for fair pay and benefits, improved working conditions and other issues that matter most to federal employees.

    nteu.org

    The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), AFL-CIO & CLC:

    A diverse labor union advocating on behalf of more than 90,000 workers in professional, technical, administrative and associated occupations in Canada and the United States.

    ifpte.org


    OPCMIA-Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association:

    Organized in 1864, the OPCMIA has represented and trained plasterers and cement masons for the purpose of protecting and promoting the quality of our industry and the livelihood of our members. Plaster and concrete are ageless building materials that will not fall out of favor as long as there is a sufficient amount of workers who are skilled in the arts of installation and finishing. These materials are as unforgiving as they are durable and beautiful. Skilled hands and competent management must work together to achieve the desired result and to promote and protect this vital construction resource.

    opcmia.org

    International Longshoremen’s Association:

    The International Longshoremen’s Association is the largest union of maritime workers in North America, representing upwards of 85,000 longshoremen on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, Great Lakes, major U.S. rivers, Puerto Rico and Eastern Canada, and the Bahamas.

    ilaunion.org

    Industrial Workers of the World:

    Organizing for better conditions at work today and a better world tomorrow. Fighting for effective mutual defense on the job as well as to negotiate and enforce collectively bargained contracts.
    We place action in all of its forms at the heart of our union.

    iww.org

    The Showmen`s League of America-fraternal/mutual aid organization:

    Rich in history and founded in camaraderie, The Showmen’s League of America is a community of showpeople - both men and women - dedicated to service and fellowship. By providing scholarships, financial aid and memorial services, we promote the mutual welfare of our members and all showpeople, in good times and bad. By maintaining our traditions, we honor the legacy of those who have come before us. By welcoming new members from all areas of the amusement industry, we build a strong future. We invite you to our website and to join us, to share our mission, and join in friendship with some of the greatest men and women in the world.

    showmensleague.org

Labor Union Guide Information contributions by:

Hale Landes, IBEW Local 134, Retired.