Unionization in Higher Education: An Industry-Level View

Joseph van der Naald
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Joseph van der Naald: School of Labor and Urban Studies, CUNY

No uaj3n_v1, SocArXiv from Center for Open Science

Abstract: This research note presents estimates of union membership and collective bargaining coverage in the higher education industry using data from the Current Population Survey. The paper analyzes the extent of union membership and collective bargaining coverage from 1983-2025, both in the industry and among faculty specifically, and estimates of the variation in union membership by employment sector, race and gender for 2024. Using a 10-year span of data, the paper also estimates union wage premiums in the industry and among faculty. This note finds union membership and bargaining coverage has remained stable over the past four decades, but documents notable gendered and ethnoracial disparities in both measures in 2024. Faculty and industry collective bargaining results in earnings premiums ranging between 4% and 5%. The findings present quantitative estimates of unionism and its material effects for higher education workers that complement recent research published by the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions.

Date: 2026-08-20
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:socarx:uaj3n_v1

DOI: 10.31235/osf.io/uaj3n_v1

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