In My Opinion: New Work Patterns Bring New Family Pressures

Work is the central, common experience in American life — as never before. More people are working, and there are more two-wage-earner families, than ever in our history. And what’s more, we’re all working longer hours on average than in past years.

Anyone who questions whether organized labor is relevant in the 21st century should reflect on these facts.

Most of our major domestic policy issues today can be considered working family issues, and indeed many of them flow directly from the changing patterns of work and of the workforce.

A century ago, women made up only about 18 percent of the labor force; today women account for nearly one-half. Even the vast majority of married women with children younger than six — 65 percent of them to be exact — are holding down paid jobs, according to the Labor Department.

For the most part, women are working out of necessity rather than just for career satisfaction. A major survey of working families conducted by the AFL-CIO this year showed that 52 percent of married women contribute half or more of their total household income. And fully 40 percent of working women head their own households because they are single, separated, divorced or widowed.

It’s no wonder that the old family situation TV shows like “I Love Lucy” and “Leave It to Beaver” look quaint to us today. Some people are nostalgic for the days when that stereotype of the working dad and stay-at-home mom was more the norm — but there’s no going back.

The reality of work and family in 2000 raises many concerns that need to be addressed in the public policy arenas and through organizing and collective bargaining.

Wage inequality remains a fact of life both between men and women performing comparable jobs as well as between minorities and Caucasians. While the pay gap has been narrowed somewhat in recent years, the AFL-CIO study shows that women still are paid just 74 cents for every dollar men earn (again, in comparable jobs).

The price of unequal pay costs working families a staggering $200 billion annually, an average loss of over $4,000 each for working women’s families. Closing the wage gap would increase family income for married women by 6 percent and for single working mothers by 17 percent, cutting the poverty rate in half for the latter group.

Here’s where unions make a big difference. The typical female union member earns fully 38 percent more per week, an extra $157, than a woman without a union contract. For people of color, the difference is even greater. Minority union women earn 39 percent more on average, and minority union men earn 44 percent more, than unorganized minority workers.

Adding to the strain on working women and their family members is the fact that so many are forced to work irregular hours. The recent AFL-CIO study found that more than 25 percent of women say that they regularly work evening or weekend hours. Irregular schedules — making child care difficult — are most likely for women earning less than $25,000 a year, single women (40 percent), and women with a high school education or less (38 percent).

One startling finding from the AFL-CIO survey is the fact that nearly half of all working women (46 percent) say they work a different work schedule from their spouse or domestic partner — no doubt resulting from a lack of available or affordable child care services.

And even with a booming economy and nearly full employment, the survey found that working women in huge numbers are doing without basic benefits needed to care for families.

One out of four working women has no employer-provided health insurance whatsoever. Twenty-nine percent report that they have no paid sick leave for themselves, and 54 percent say they have no paid leave to care for a baby or sick family member. More than one-third of working women say they have no flexibility in their work hours to deal with family emergencies.

CWA and other unions have made important gains for working women — nearly half of CWA’s members are female — and we continue to press for more. At our recent bargaining and mobilization meeting to gear up for Bell Atlantic talks this summer, high on the agenda were an array of goals to further increase flexibility, expand family care benefits, and relieve excessive mandatory overtime and job pressures focused on customer service occupations.

Yet for the majority of women not yet organized, the challenge lies in adopting public programs and policies to address these inequities and family needs. There are a number of bills before Congress to promote pay equity, expand health coverage, provide drug pricing relief for the elderly, expand family and medical leave benefits, protect pensions and provide better pension portability, and more.

But with the present makeup of Congress, these measures won’t go anywhere this year. Nor will they pass next year unless we elect a Congress and a President this November who are committed to a working families agenda.