Nationwide, union members accounted for 10.0 percent of employed wage and salary workers in 2023. The rate was little changed from the previous year. Since 1989, when comparable state data became available, union membership rates in Michigan have been above the U.S. average. Michigan had 564,000 union members in 2023.
There are several states where public sector workers still have no right to collective bargaining, and in some states, they also have no right to strike. In North Carolina and South Carolina, public sector collective bargaining is banned. In Texas and Georgia, only police and firefighters have the right to bargain.
UNIT REPRESENTATION & EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS Currently there are 11 units eligible for collective bargaining; of these, 10 units comprising approximately 71% of the total state classified work force are represented by exclusive representatives.
Michigan workplaces are no longer governed by a “right-to-work” law, as the repeal took effect on February 13, 2024. Once again employees can be required to join a union to keep their jobs.