Thousands of NC public sector workers join these groups. See how many belong to each.
North Carolina has the second-lowest union membership rate in the United States, at 2.8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And a 1959 state law bans collective bargaining by public-sector employees.
But the state has several associations that advocate for government workers.
If groups are large enough, they can have dues taken directly out of their members’ paychecks.
Two of North Carolina’s largest organizations for public employees are not unions, but they represent state employees and teachers.
There are about 74,000 state employees in North Carolina, according to the Office of State Human Resources. Their pay is set by the General Assembly. Teachers are employed by their local school districts, but their base pay is also set by the legislature.
NC employee group memberships
Here’s a breakdown of how many people are members of selected employee groups in North Carolina, from a new report released Tuesday from State Auditor Beth Wood. It includes non-union and unionized workers across the state. The membership count, which was conducted by an independent accountant, is as of Dec. 31, 2022.
▪ State Employees Association of North Carolina: 43,894
▪ North Carolina Association of Educators: 24,994
▪ Southern States Police Benevolent Association: 16,043
▪ Teamsters Local 391: 7,814
▪ North Carolina Public Service Workers Union, UE Local 150: 5,857
▪ Classroom Teachers Association of North Carolina: 3,827
▪ Correctional Peace Officers Foundation: 2,568
▪ North Carolina Troopers Association: 2,195
▪ Professional Educators of North Carolina: 2,167
▪ Teamsters Local 71: 34
▪ School Bus Driver Association: 22
This story was originally published September 26, 2023 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Thousands of NC public sector workers join these groups. See how many belong to each.."
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