Unions Target Graduate Students, Homecare Workers, Foster Parents and Prisoners as New Organizing Fronts

In its fifth edition of "The Battle for Worker Freedom," the Commonwealth Foundation evaluated how state statutes affect the ability of workers to join unions, highlighting a shift toward organizing graduate students, home-care workers, foster parents and prisoners. Pro-union voices claim that extending representation to these groups can raise public-sector wages, reducing the typical 19% pay gap with private-sector jobs to about 9% where bargaining rights are strong.

Opponents point to the modest union dues—typically 2% to 4% of pay—and raise concerns about the practicality of unionizing caregivers who work for family members. The report notes that after the 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision, the four largest public unions still grew membership by 3.5% by 2024. State-level attempts to unionize inmates have so far failed in Minnesota and Vermont, while a foster-parent bill in Massachusetts has cleared a committee but awaits final passage.