If you need to replace a husband, you might consider a union. What women used to find in marriage-- lifetime material security- might well come from collective agreements.

A few weeks ago, I interviewed a a single mother from California. After Jessica Garcia's husband left, she found herself with three children--after having been absent from the workforce for many years.

Clearly and logically, Garcia told herself that she needed a union job. Her mother had always pointed out that the grocery store was one of the last places to find one.

Hoping to avoid being thrown into that large sector of the impoverished population which are female-headed households, Garcia made calculations similar to those women supposedly made years ago to "catch a good husband", she went after a union job. "I needed security, health insurance and a pension," she said. "Landlords aren't going to understand that I can't pay the rent if I lose my job."

This savvy Californian had a good grasp of the issues as outlined by a recent study by American Prospect Society on unions and upward mobility.

Women who belong to unions earn about 11% more, or $2. an hour, according to a study released six months ago by the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Union women are also 19% more likely to have health insurance and 25% more likely to have an employer provided pension, according to the study. When it comes to receiving those benefits, union membership gives women a greater edge than a four year degree, (However. union women earn significantly less than degreed women).

Not all women want to hook up as Garcia did. An ICFTU (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions) study done in 2001 about working women and unions found that many women didn't understand how unions can help them, have a bad image of unions or lack the time to participate because of their unpaid labor at home. What's more, they felt that trade unions don't contact them or cater to their needs.

But some women are starting to realize the advantage. New female membership is greatly outpacing new male membership. Women currently make up about 45% of membership and unions estimates that by 2010 most of members will be women. Representing workers in the very female and poorly paid service sector, SEIU ( Service Employees International Union) now has 56% women.

Interestingly, another study suggests that women are good organizers. Kate Bronfenbrenner, the director of labor education research for Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, found that when women made up the majority of employees, unions were voted in 62 percent of the time compared to 35 percent or less if women were the minority.

As well as getting pensions and health care, maybe women will be able to look to unions for more family friendly work policies. The Labor Project for Working Families is leading a national movement to fight for paid leave.

Now, all women could use that whether they have husbands or union cards.

Amy Cross
women make news. com