Wyoming sees growing interest in union membership as national support rises

Union interest is rising again

Wyoming is seeing renewed attention around unions as national approval remains high and worker interest in organized labor continues to grow across the country in recent years.

Yet membership remains limited. Federal data show only 6% of Wyoming wage and salary workers belonged to unions in 2025, compared with 10% nationwide across the workforce overall.

Public support remains unusually high

Public support for unions has stayed near historic highs. Gallup reported 68% approval in 2025, continuing several years of unusually strong backing among Americans across the country.

That support has not translated into equal membership growth. Nationally, just 10% of wage and salary workers were union members in 2025, according to recent federal labor data.

Wyoming posts a small membership gain

Wyoming’s union membership rate rose slightly from 5.6% in 2024 to 6% in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual estimates for workers statewide.

About 14,000 Wyoming workers were union members in 2025. Roughly 17,000 were represented by unions or similar employee associations, including some workers who were not members themselves that year.

Interest exceeds current membership

A new Economic Policy Institute report says worker interest is much higher than current membership suggests. Its analysis estimates that 43% of nonunion workers would vote to unionize.

That equals about 56 million wage and salary workers nationwide. The report argues that this gap reflects barriers between wanting collective representation and actually securing a union contract today.

Researchers propose tripling membership

The report proposes tripling national union membership to 30%, roughly returning the country to levels seen during the 1950s when private-sector unionization was far higher than today.

Researchers describe the target as ambitious but possible. They argue that current worker interest is already large enough to support membership well above the proposed 30% level nationwide today.

Higher pay drives the argument

Pay is central to the case for expanding unions. Economic Policy Institute researchers estimate tripling membership could raise median worker earnings by 14.5% across the economy.

They calculate that the increase is more than $7,700 annually for the median worker. The projection includes potential benefits for both union members and nonunion workers through broader wage effects.

Affordability is part of the debate

Supporters also connect union growth to affordability, arguing that household finances depend on wages as well as the prices people pay for everyday goods and services today.

Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute says stronger bargaining power can improve pay. Her argument shifts part of the affordability debate from lowering prices toward raising worker earnings.

Benefits can reach beyond wages

Union advocates say collective bargaining can affect more than hourly pay. Contracts may also cover health insurance, retirement benefits, scheduling, leave, and other workplace conditions for employees.

The Economic Policy Institute estimates higher union density could reduce the number of uninsured nonelderly Americans by about 25%, partly through stronger employer benefits and broader policy effects.

Employers raise their own concerns

Employers often raise different concerns about organizing, including union dues, workplace flexibility, labor costs, and the possibility that higher expenses could affect business competitiveness over time.

Large companies have also spent heavily on union-avoidance consultants and legal strategies. A separate 2026 Economic Policy Institute report estimated that employers spend more than $1.5 billion annually across the country.

Little-known fact: More than 91% of Wyoming voters said someone in their household hunts, fishes, or recreates on public lands.

Public and private rates differ sharply

The national membership gap is also shaped by major differences between public and private workplaces. Public-sector unionization remains much higher than private-sector membership across the country today.

In 2025, 32.9% of public-sector workers belonged to unions, compared with 5.9% in the private sector. Those figures show how strongly membership depends on industry and workplace rules.

Union strength has changed over decades

Union strength has changed sharply over time. More than one in three private-sector workers belonged to unions during parts of the 1950s, according to the new report.

By 2025, national membership stood at 10%. Researchers link the long decline to economic shifts, employer opposition, changing labor laws, and weaker organizing power across many workplaces today.

Labor laws remain part of the fight

The debate now centers on whether labor laws should make organizing easier. The Economic Policy Institute supports federal and state changes designed to strengthen collective bargaining rights.

Critics of that approach argue that employers and workers should retain more flexibility without additional union requirements. That disagreement will continue shaping how quickly membership can grow in Wyoming and elsewhere.

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The gap remains wide

Wyoming remains below the national union membership rate, but the broader picture shows growing public support and strong interest among many workers who are not represented today.

Whether that interest produces more memberships will depend on organizing drives, employer responses, labor laws, and economic conditions. For now, the gap between approval and participation remains wide.

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What do you think about Wyoming seeing growing interest in union membership as national support rises? Share your thoughts in the comments.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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