In 2010, 14.7 million workers belonged to unions, making up 11.9 percent of the workforce.

Union members work in all types of  jobs and industries. They are teachers, coal miners, construction  workers, nurses, firefighters, musicians, engineers, electricians, etc.

Slightly more than half of all union  members work in the public sector. They are teachers, police officers,  firefighters, letter carriers, etc.

More than one out of five union  members are teachers, trainers, and librarians. About one out of six  union members are production or transportation workers.

Over 36 percent of public sector  workers are union members, while only 6.9 percent of private sector  workers are union members. Private sector labor laws provide inadequate  protections against employer intimidation and harassment  when workers try to organize.

The occupations with the largest  percentage of union members are education, training, and library  occupations in which 37.1 percent are union members and protection  service occupations in which 34.1 percent are union members.