Contract protection
You are protected by a contract. You have peace of mind knowing your salary, benefits and working conditions are established and defended.
Salaries are higher when you're union
The median weekly earnings of union workers are nearly 30 percent higher than non-union workers.
Greater access to affordable health care
As a union member, you have considerably better access to health care coverage - including dental care, vision care and prescription drug benefits - than do non-union workers. You also pay less out of pocket for your insurance.
From insurance to discounts
NYSUT members can take advantage of approximately 50 endorsed programs and services, ranging from insurance plans to shopping and travel benefits, offered by NYSUT Member Benefits. Member benefits monitors all of its programs, plans and services for quality and competitive pricing. Some of the Member Benefits' offerings are also available to or cover spouses/ domestic partners of members, dependent children, dependent parents and grandparents.
A more secure retirement
Union workers are more likely to have employer-provided pensions than non-union workers. Meanwhile, in 2012, 77 percent of union members were covered by defined-benefit pensions, as compared to less than 20 percent of non-union workers.
Information provided by the Center for American Progress, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, UC Berkeley Labor Center, Labor Project for Working Families, the Center for Economic and Policy Research and Employee Benefits Research Institute.
NEXT: For Your Profession