US trade union membership slumps to lowest for 70 years

The New York Times reports that union membership in the US fell sharply last year to the lowest level since the 1930's. Membership stands at 14.7m - a density across the economy of only 11.9% and this low average betrays wide industrial and regional disparities with private sector density now down to 6.9% and in many southern states union membership has fallen to sub-critical levels for example North Carolina at 3.2% and Georgia at 4% http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/business/22union.html?_r=2