Labor Unions and Better Health

Social-class inequities in health arise from power imbalances in our political-economic system. However, through labor-union organizing, workers can build power to improve their life chances and health. In our review, we describe the rich historical, theoretical, and mechanistic evidence linking unions and health and critically evaluate the state of quantitative research on the topic. Most individual-level and ecological studies have estimated small beneficial or null union-health associations. However, as we describe, the studies are limited in number, particularly outside the Global North, and face many technical and conceptual challenges, including feedback loops between unions and societies’ political-economic contexts. We conclude with recommendations for enhancing the rigor and utility of union-health research, including by richly contextualizing studies’ findings and by answering questions raised by workers themselves. As social and economic inequities intensify and workers face heightening attacks on their well-being, unions remain crucial organizations for advancing health justice.