Unions exist to represent the interests of workers, who form the membership. Under US labor law, the National Labor Relations Act 1935 is the primary statute which gives US unions rights. The rights of members are governed by the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act 1959. List Below
| Name | est. | Members (approx) | Description | Constitution | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Education Association (NEA) | 1857 | 3,000,000+ | Public school employees including but not limited to teachers, Education Support Professionals, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, guidance counselors, nurses, administrative assistants, secretaries, psychologists, and librarians. | 2019 | NEA |
| Service Employees International Union (SEIU) | 1921 | 1,901,161 [1] | RNs, professional, technical and non-professional health care workers; public employees; janitorial and security employees. | 2012 | SEIU |
| American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) | 1932 | 1,459,511 | Employees of state, county, and municipal governments. | 2012 | AFSCME |
| Teamsters | 1903 | 1,400,000 | Full name: International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Truck drivers; warehouse workers; miscellaneous trades. | 2016 | Teamsters |
| United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) | 1979 | 1,300,000 | Retail store and distribution employees. | 2008 | UFCW |
| United Auto Workers (UAW) | 1935 | 990,000 | Full name: International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. Automobile, truck, farm equipment, and construction equipment manufacturing workers. | 2010 | UAW |
| United Steelworkers (US) | 1942 | 860,264 [2] | Steel mill workers; related trades. | USW | |
| American Federation of Teachers (AFT) | 1916 | 1,700,000 [3] [ circular reference ] | Public school teachers, RNs, professional, technical and non-professional health care workers. | 2022 | AFT |
| International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) | 1891 | 820,000 | Electrical manufacturing workers; electric utility workers. | 2012 | IBEW |
| Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) | 1903 | 669,772 | Miscellaneous construction workers; other trades. | 2022 | LIUNA |
| International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) | 1888 | 653,781 | Aircraft manufacturing workers; aircraft maintenance and repair workers. | 2017 | IAM |
| Communications Workers of America (CWA) | 1947 | 545,638 | Telecommunication, customer service, broadcasting, public sector, healthcare and other workers. | 2013 | CWA |
| United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA) | 1881 | 522,416 | Building industry carpenters and millwrights. | 2015 | UBC |
| International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) | 1937 | 424,579 | Freight handlers at ports. | 2016 | ILWU |
| International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) | 1896 | 392,584 | Operators of construction equipment; stationary engineers. | 2015 | IUOE |
| United Association (UA) | 1889 | 324,043 | Full name: United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada. | 2021 | UA |
| National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) | 1889 | 292,221 | United States Postal Service mail delivery workers in urban areas. | 2016 | NALC |
| American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) | 1932 | 289,023 | Miscellaneous U.S. federal government workers. | 2012 | AFGE |
| American Postal Workers Union (APWU) | 1971 | 286,700 | United States Postal Service workers other than letter carriers. | APWU | |
| International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) | 1918 | 331,003 | Professional firefighters and emergency medical service workers. | 2021 | IAFF |
| UNITE HERE | 2004 | 301,886 [4] | Hotel, casino, restaurant, and commercial food service workers and garment manufacturing employees. Formerly UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees) and HERE, merged in 2004. | 2024 | UNITE HERE |
| National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) | 1912 | 269,204 | A division of LIUNA. United States Postal Service workers other than letter carriers. | 2022 | NPMHU |
| Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) | 1892 | 190,000 | Mass transit service workers. | 2022 | ATU |
| American Nurses Association (ANU) | 1897 | 152,294 | Professional association for registered nurses. | ANA | |
| International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) | 1893 | 160,000[ citation needed ] | Non-performing entertainment workers in Theater, Motion Picture & Television, & Trade Shows | IATSE | |
| International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (IASMARTW) | 1888 | 148,806 | SMART | ||
| International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) | 1887 | 127,278 | Construction-industry painters, glaziers, drywall finishers, sign & display workers. | 2020 | IUPAT |
| International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers (IABSORIW) | 1896 | 125,437 | 2021 | IW | |
| Transport Workers Union of America (TWUA) | 1934 | 125,398 | Mass transit, railroad, and airline workers. | 2017 | TWU |
| Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) | 1945 | 105,000 | White-collar workers in the public and private sector. | OPEIU | |
| National Rural Letter Carriers' Association (NRLCU) | 1903 | 104,717 | United States Postal Service mail delivery workers in rural areas. | 2017 | NRLCA |
This is a list of AFL–CIO affiliated member unions:
| Name | Year established | Affiliation | League(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Basketball Players Association | 1954 | Independent | National Basketball Association |
| National Football League Players Association | 1956 | AFL-CIO | National Football League |
| Major League Baseball Players Association | 1966 | AFL-CIO | Major League Baseball |
| National Hockey League Players Association | 1967 | Independent | National Hockey League |
| Professional Hockey Players' Association | 1967 | Independent | American Hockey League ECHL |
| Professional Lacrosse Players' Association | 1991 | Independent | National Lacrosse League |
| MLS Players Association | 2003 | Independent | Major League Soccer |
| Women's National Basketball Players Association | 1998 | Independent | Women's National Basketball Association |
| National Women's Soccer League Players Association | 2015 | AFL-CIO | National Women's Soccer League |