The Union Difference for Professional Employees
Professionals form or join unions to negotiate better pay, benefits, and working conditions through collective bargaining. Across industries—from education and federal government to utilities and healthcare—union professionals are winning tangible improvements that strengthen both their careers and the services they provide.
Below are examples of real gains secured by members of DPE affiliate unions.
Union Professionals Are Winning
Union professionals across the country have secured improvements including:
Significant wage increases and predictable raises
Stronger health, retirement, and leave benefits
Clear job protections and workplace standards
Improved scheduling, flexibility, and safety policies
Negotiated pay structures, salary floors, and career transparency
Select your industry to view recent union professionals’ contract wins. Don’t see your industry here? Contact us to be put in touch with a union of professionals in your sector, industry, or field.
Contact us to connect with a union organizer at info@dpeaflcio.org.
Architecture
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
At Bernheimer Architecture, architectural professionals won a 36-hour work week, comp time after 36 hours, optional overtime for working over 45 hours, and a flexible hybrid work policy.
Education
College faculty and staff
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
At Portland Community College in Oregon, faculty and staff secured 14% raises over two years and an increase in part-time faculty pay to 75% of the full-time rate.
United Steelworkers (USW)
At the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, faculty secured salary minimums of $60,000 for full-time faculty and $50,000 for instructors and visiting faculty, with annual increases.
College non-teaching staff
Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU)
At New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering, non-teaching staff secured a 17.25% increase to base salaries, childcare subsidies, and eligibility for NYU’s Portable Tuition Benefits Plan.
College resident assistants
OPEIU
At Tufts University in Massachusetts, resident assistants (RAs) won a 46% increase in compensation, a meal plan with 80 swipes per semester and a $1,425 stipend, holiday pay, and a summer training schedule limited to 8 days before move in.
High school teachers
AFT
At BASIS Tucson North charter school in Arizona, teachers won guaranteed raises, 10 days of paid time off, and the end of a mandatory workweek exceeding 40 hours.
School administrators
American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA)
At Chicago Public Schools in Illinois, principals and administrators secured salary increases—including a 4% annual raises for 2 years—along with a new incident response protocol and added protections for administrators facing threats.
Federal Government
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
At the Transportation Security Administration, transportation security officers (TSOs) secured increased cash allowances and greater flexibility in purchasing uniforms, as well as an expanded ability to trade shifts—from 20% to 40% of an employee’s work hours.
At the Defense Health Agency, employees secured robust telework and remote work opportunities—where appropriate—and strong protections for using leave for personal reasons.
At the Social Security Administration, employees secured virtual details (special projects or assignments that can be done remotely), compassionate assignments of up to 60 days at an alternate duty station for unforeseen personal situations, and funding to cover up to five days per year of emergency backup care for employees with dependent minors or adults.
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) members
At the Federal Aviation Administration, flight standards and aircraft certification employees secured a $5,000 bonus and a hybrid work policy requiring two days per week in the office.
Healthcare
Nurses
AFT
At Oregon Health Sciences University, nurses secured wage increases of 15%, 6%, and 6% over the life of the contract, a new wage scale raising the average base pay by 37%—over three years—and paid training in trauma-informed care.
OPEIU
At Queen’s Medical Center’s Manamana and West Oahu campuses in Hawaii, nurses secured nearly 17% wage increases over the three-year contract, along with improved nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and a commitment to address workloads.
USW
At Chisholm Health Center in Minnesota, nurses secured a 13.5% wage increase over the life of the contract, along with experience-based pay that compensates employees for their years of service.
Other Healthcare Professionals
AFT
At the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, residents and fellows secured a 20% salary increase over the three years of the contract, an additional week of vacation and reimbursement for the final exam required for an M.D. or D.O. license.
IAM
At the biotech lab Tempus AI in Illinois, employees secured pay increases of 10% to 12.5% over three years with opportunities for additional performance-based raises, promotion wage increases ranging from 6% to 11% with opportunities for additional merit increases, and improvements to PTO accrual.
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU)
At Sodus Rehabilitation Center in New York, employees secured 40% wage increases for certified nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses, a better 401(k) match, and an improved sick leave policy, including coverage for part-time employees.
USW
At Oroville Hospital in California, unit clerks, phlebotomists, respiratory therapists, occupational therapy assistants, environmental service workers, and other professionals secured an average 9.5% wage increase in the first year of the contract, an additional week of vacation for business office and service unit members to address disparities, and the creation of a joint health and safety committee.
Insurance and Finance
OPEIU
At Amalgamated Life Insurance Company in New York, employees won 14% wage increases, 11 guaranteed holidays with the addition of Juneteenth, a hybrid work schedule.
At TruStage in Wisconsin, employees secured 15.5% pay increases retroactive to 2022, 13.25% raises over the four-year contract, and a provision formalizing remote work with a monthly allowance for home-office expenses.
At Independent Federal Credit Union in Indiana, employees won pay increases of 10% to 13%, a $1000 retirement bonus, and doubled profit sharing.
Nonprofit
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)
At the ACLU, employees secured 11.5% pay increases, 20 weeks of paid family, medical, and parental leave, and sabbaticals of up to 75 days for those with at least seven years of service.
At the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., employees secured increased minimum salaries with guaranteed annual raises, $12,500 per year in tuition assistance, and 27.5 days of paid time off.
At East Bay Community Law Center in California, employees secured a $50,000 salary floor, average individual salary increases of 15%, and 20 days of paid leave for new attorneys to prepare for the bar exam.
OPEIU
At the City Bar Justice Center in New York, employees secured immediate pay increases to $41,500 or $43,500, annual pay raises, and a mental health stipend.
At American Jewish World Services in New York, employees secured a $60,000 salary floor and structured salary increases, as well as enhanced health care and insurance benefits, including lower copays, expanded fertility and orthodontia coverage, and increased transgender and gender-nonconforming benefits.
At the International Rescue Committee (IRC), employees secured guaranteed annual wage increases, workload standards, and a process for the implementation of new technology in the workplace, including AI.
RWDSU
At Animal Care Centers NYC, animal care specialists, behavior team members, client care representatives, field operations staff, and dispatchers won higher pay, improvements to vacation time, and immediate paid leave for any work related injury.
At GrowNYC, employees secured a minimum starting wage of $21 per hour, which increases to $22 per hour after a new employee’s first annual raise, annual wage increases of 3.5% to 4.5%, and pay increases for employees who are fluent in a second language used at work.
Retail
IAM
At the Apple Store in Towson, Maryland, workers won average 10% pay raises, better scheduling, and limits on contract labor.
RWDSU
At McNally Jackson Bookstores, employees secured wage increases, expanded paid holidays, and broader safety protections.
At Barnes & Noble stores in New York City, employees secured minimum starting wages of $23 to $25 for new hires, guaranteed pay during emergency store closures, and health and safety equipment, including back braces, wrist guards, anti-slip mats, and stools.
At Duane Reade in New York, pharmacists secured 7.5% pay increases, bonuses ranging from $250 to $4,750 depending on years of service, and fully employer-paid healthcare premiums for employees working 30 hours or more per week.
State and Local Government
Attorneys
USW
In Crawford County, Pennsylvania, assistant district attorneys and public defenders secured base salaries of $50,000 for those who have not yet passed the bar, $53,000 for those who have, and $56,000 for lawyers with two years of experience—representing raises of 35% or more.
Fire fighters, paramedics, and other first responders
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
In Loudoun County, Virginia, career fire fighters, fire marshals, medics, and public safety communicators won raises of 12.4% to 19.6% depending on job classification, nearly doubled employer retirement contributions, and the option for employees returning from pregnancy to work on temporary restricted duty for up to a year.
In Altoona, Pennsylvania, fire fighters secured 4% annual pay raises, a $325 reimbursement for cancer screening, and a guarantee of at least 11 on-duty fire fighters at all times.
At Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, manufacturing facility, fire fighters secured pay increases totaling 27% over three years and a guaranteed minimum staffing of five fire fighters.
Librarians
OPEIU
At the Somerset County Library System of New Jersey, librarians and library professionals secured guaranteed minimum raises of 8.75% with an improved policy to earn additional raises and 12 paid holidays with the addition of Juneteenth.
Other Public Sector Professionals
IFPTE
At the City of San Jose, California, employees secured pay increases of 14.5% to 15%, $2,500 to use for professional development, and increased bilingual pay of $20 per biweekly pay period.
OPEIU
At the City of Vancouver, Washington, parking enforcement officers, construction inspectors, accountants, and customer service representatives secured an immediate 3% cost-of-living increase, an additional 3% raise on January 1, 2026, along with pay increases based on tenure and job category, double-time pay for holiday work, and a reduction in employees’ monthly health insurance premiums from $330 to $91.
Tech
OPEIU
At Nava PBC, employees won guaranteed 2% across-the-board wage increases, a salary minimum of $60,000, and prohibitions on intrusive monitoring of employees.
At Code for America, employees secured guaranteed annual wage increases of 3.4%, $10,000 in lifetime coverage for adoption assistance, fertility support, and family planning, and $10,000 in lifetime coverage for gender-affirming or reassignment care.
At Kickstarter, employees secured salary increases, including an average 6% raise for the organization’s most undervalued workers, a cost-of-living–adjusted escalation to the salary minimum, and a four-day workweek.
Utility
Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA)
In Anderson, Indiana, water and wastewater systems employees secured guaranteed 14% pay increases over their four-year contract, a 40% increase in on-call pay and 15 paid sick days with an improved accrual system.
In East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, employees responsible for roads, water, sewer, and buildings secured first-year pay increases of 11% to 16.5% through step increases and base rate adjustments, two new holidays bringing the annual total to 15, and accelerated vacation usage for new hires.
At Delta Gas in Kentucky, employees won base wage increases of 5% to 45%, with most receiving a 15% raise on the first day of the contract, additional 9% raises over the 3.5-year contract, and a job progression system providing annual pay increases.
Why These Contract Gains Matter
Union contracts establish enforceable standards that benefit professionals across industries. They help ensure fair pay, strong benefits, and workplaces where professional expertise is respected. These improvements also strengthen the services professionals provide to the public.
The Union Difference
These gains didn’t happen by chance. They happened because professionals joined together in unions and negotiated contracts that set enforceable standards.
When professionals organize, they gain the collective power to improve their workplaces — and the industries they serve. Contact us if you are interested in organizing a union in your workplace