The Road to Shared Prosperity Starts with Oregon Workers

"I love these patients, but it’s really hard to go home and not be able to provide for your family," says Dwanna Tarpio, a caregiver at Serenity Hospice in Eugene. After months of juggling emotional exhaustion with a paycheck that barely covered rent, Dwanna and a handful of her coworkers decided enough was enough and organized a union.

When the union contract finally landed earlier this year, the change was dramatic. One employee saw her hourly wage leap from $29 to $43 – a 33 % jump that left many on the floor cheering. It wasn’t just a one‑off raise; the new agreement brought better health benefits, paid leave, and a clearer path for future wage growth.

Dwanna’s story isn’t unique, but it does illustrate a bigger truth: when workers have a louder voice at the bargaining table, the whole community feels the ripple. Power in the workplace rebalances the scale that employers have long tipped in their own favor, and that balance matters for everyone who lives in the neighborhoods where those workers call home.

Research tells us that economic insecurity isn’t a product of personal failings. It’s largely the result of policies and corporate strategies that chip away at collective bargaining power. When that power erodes, workers miss out on a fair slice of the productivity gains and soaring profits that companies celebrate.

Look at the numbers. A long‑term study found that workers who spent most of their careers under a union contract amassed an average net worth of about $224,000, versus $162,000 for their non‑union peers. Toss in Social Security and retirement savings, and the gap widens dramatically – roughly $748,000 for union workers compared with $290,000 for those who never unionized.

Those figures swell even more when you consider the broader environment. Employees in states or regions with higher union density see larger wealth gains than those in low‑union areas. In other words, the collective strength of labor across an entire economy amplifies the benefits for each individual worker.

Higher union density also nudges the minimum wage upward. States where unions are strong typically set a minimum wage more than $4 per hour higher than the national average. That lift protects the lowest‑paid workers and sends a signal that a decent living wage isn’t optional.

The ripple effect reaches household incomes, too. Median household earnings in high‑union states hover about $12,300 above those in low‑union states. That extra income isn’t just a line item on a tax return – it translates into safer neighborhoods, better schools, and more affordable childcare.

Imagine what could happen if union membership in the United States rose to 30 % of the workforce – a level not seen since the 1950s. One analysis estimates an extra $1.2 trillion would flow into workers’ pockets each year. For the average employee, that’s roughly $7,700 more per year, or $270,000 over a typical career. It could be the difference between renting forever and buying a home, or between taking on debt for college and paying it off outright.

Greater worker power also reshapes how we fund public services. In states with strong unions, the wealthy tend to shoulder a larger share of taxes, resulting in a less regressive tax system. Oregon, with its relatively high union density, already enjoys one of the fairest tax structures in the country – a direct benefit of collective bargaining power.

All of this points to a simple, if challenging, conclusion: shared prosperity blossoms where workers have real bargaining power. Achieving that vision will require lawmakers in Salem and Washington to roll back the legal and regulatory hurdles that keep unions from thriving.

— Kathy Lara, policy analyst, Oregon Center for Public Policy (originally published in the Oregon Capital Chronicle).