National Study of Union Retirees and Retirement Programs

In the mid-1980s‚ the AFL-CIO asked the National Institute for Work and Learning (NIWL) to undertake a comprehensive national study of union retirees and retirement programs‚ the first time that union retirees had been studied apart from other retirees. The study‚ Union Retirees: Enriching their Lives‚ Enhancing their Contribution‚ looked at how the benefits of union membership—collective bargaining and political and social activities—which shaped union members’ working lives affected them in retirement. The goal of the study was to provide information on union retirees and retirement and pre-retirement programs to help organized labor and other providers of retirement programs and services: assist retirees and workers who will soon retire to plan their lives after retirement; provide programs and services to enable retirees to lead more enjoyable and productive lives; and develop linkages among retirees‚ unions‚ and community organizations.

The project had three major components: a study of union retirees; a study of local union and retiree club programs and services; and case studies of community programs and services for retirees:

• The study of union retirees involved a national survey of 11‚417 retirees randomly selected from the 14 participating unions and the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education. A questionnaire was mailed to the home of each of the randomly selected retirees. Areas covered in the questionnaire included: demographic characteristics and background; work and union history; programs and services for retirees; and attitudes and opinions.
• The study of local unions and retiree clubs involved a telephone survey of 56 local union affiliates and retiree clubs from the 14 participating unions. Interviews were conducted with representatives of the local unions and union retiree organizations. Topics covered in the interviews included: the relation of retirees to their local and international unions and the needs of retirees for programs and services as perceived by the locals and retiree clubs.
• The community case studies gathered information on the array of public and private programs and services available to union retirees. The five communities selected reflected diversity of geographical location‚ economic base‚ and union representation.

The study findings were relevant to the needs of a variety of concerned groups‚ including the AFL-CIO‚ national and international unions‚ local union affiliates‚ the National Council of Senior Citizens‚ providers of retirement and pre-retirement programs and services‚ policymakers‚ retiree groups‚ and program developers. Support for the study was provided by the AFL-CIO‚ the 14 participating national and international unions‚ the U.S. Department of Labor‚ the Villers Foundation‚ the Retirement Research Foundation‚ and the American Income Life Insurance Company.

To read Union Retirees: Enriching their Lives‚ Enhancing their Contribution‚ visit the NIWL Resource Center.