Gen Z Workers Look to Unions to Champion the Future of Work

The newest workers in the labor force believe in unions. Whether a job is a union position is a factor when they are looking for work. They say that union workplaces offer more comprehensive benefits, fairer treatment, and do more to ensure their safety. The vast majority of them trust that unions will effectively advocate for their workers.

But these newer workers–those between 18 and 28 years old–also believe that unions can’t remain stagnant. They are looking for unions to not just worry about wages and benefits, but to begin addressing more modern workplace concerns.

That’s what our 2025 LaborStrong Perceptions and Priorities of Labor survey told us. We used the third-party platform Pollfish to survey 1,000 American workers ages 18 and up on their perceptions of unions, their understanding of the benefits unions provided, and what worker concerns should be prioritized in today’s world.

Those concerns include work-life balance, the use of AI and automation in the workplace, wage inequality and livable wages, and remote and hybrid work policies.

Key Survey Findings:

• Workers of all ages agree that wages, workplace safety, and benefits administration should be the main focus of unions, but they also note that unions need to be expanding their areas of impact to address modern challenges.
• Early to mid-career workers say AI and automation, wage inequality and living wages, and remote/hybrid work policies are where labor’s voice is needed most.
• Gen Z and Millennial workers strongly believe that AI and automation are creating workplace issues that unions need to be ready to address. Older workers are much less certain.
• When evaluating a potential job, many workers take union status into account—but Gen X does so at a lower rate than other generations
• Union workplaces beat non-unions in terms of benefits, fairness, and workplace safety.
• Trust in unions to represent workers effectively peaks when people are in their 30s and 40s.

Younger workers said unions’ top priorities should be working to ensure paid leave and work-life balance, ranking them as more important than wage increases and adherence to health and safety standards. Paid leave and work-life balance was more than twice as important to younger workers than to those workers their parents’ age (45 years old to 60 years old) and more than three times as important compared to the oldest workers we surveyed (61 years old and up).

More than half of all workers surveyed classified AI and automation in the workplace as a key issue that unions need to address in the next year, just one point behind wage inequality.

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While younger workers are leading the way in pushing unions to expand their areas of influence, all workers agreed that it was time for unions to focus on those modern workplace issues that have captured headlines over the last few years.

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“The workforce is evolving, and unions must continue to evolve with it,” says Joe Morrone, Vice President of Labor Relations & Business Development, MagnaCare. “While fair pay and benefits remain crucial, today’s workers—especially Gen Z—are looking to unions to address modern challenges like AI, hybrid work, and work-life balance. This highlights the need for unions to broaden their focus, addressing not only traditional concerns but also the evolving challenges of today’s workplace.”

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Union workplaces beat non-union workplaces in terms of benefits, fairness, and workplace safety

Overall, respondents believe a union workplace is more beneficial for workers. Nearly 70% said union workplaces offer better benefits, treat workers more fairly, and create safe work environments.

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What we saw, though, in this question is something we saw throughout the survey. Younger workers, those 40 and under, tended to have stronger positive feelings about unions. Those opinions faded as they aged.

For example, 77% of respondents 18-28 said union workplaces were better for workers. That number drops to 75% for workers aged 29-40 years. Just over 70% of workers 45-60 said union workplaces were better. With workers over 60, though, that number dropped drastically—just 54%.

Trust in unions to represent workers effectively peaks when people are in their 30s and 40s

Generations diverged again when we asked whether workers trusted unions to represent them effectively. Overall, the answer is a resounding yes—57% of all respondents said they either somewhat trust or completely trust unions to represent workers effectively.

Once again, though, the number of workers who say they trust unions begins to decline with workers between 45 and 60 then continues to slide past 60, with 44% of respondents reporting they either somewhat trust or completely trust unions. And in that same age group, 22% said they distrust unions on some level. That’s twice as high as any other age group.

Despite this generational divide, overall trust in unions remains strong. The majority of workers still see unions as a powerful advocate, and as workplaces continue to evolve, unions have the opportunity to build on this trust by adapting to modern challenges and proving their ongoing value to workers of all ages.

Public Confidence in Unions Shows Strong Support Across Generations

The data reveals a strong foundation of trust in labor unions, with nearly 58% of respondents expressing confidence in their ability to represent workers effectively. A notable 15% fully trust unions, and overall skepticism remains relatively low, with just 13% expressing any level of distrust.

Trust levels do vary across age groups, presenting an opportunity for unions to engage different generations in new ways. While confidence remains steady among younger and mid-career workers, older workers—particularly those over 60—show a more cautious perspective, with 44% still expressing trust in unions. Meanwhile, 22% in this age group express some level of doubt, a number that suggests unions have room to strengthen their connections with experienced professionals.

Rather than a decline, this generational variation highlights a chance for unions to tailor their outreach and advocacy efforts to ensure they remain a trusted resource for workers at every career stage. By addressing the specific needs and concerns of older employees—while maintaining strong engagement with younger generations—unions can continue to reinforce their relevance and impact across the workforce.

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The emergence of AI is making unions more essential

An area where we did see some agreement was around what AI, especially as it improves, should mean for the future of unions. Slightly more than a quarter of all respondents say it’s too early to know just what the continued emergence of AI is going to mean for unions. That even includes younger workers–nearly 20% of them were unsure about AI’s impact.

For those who did have an opinion, most respondents in each of the age groups said that unions still haven’t figured out how to address this new technology. But as we know from responses to other questions, AI is something that many workers are looking to unions to address.

Unions have a critical opportunity to strengthen their influence as AI continues to reshape the workforce. To effectively advocate for workers, unions must develop strategies that address both the immediate concerns and long-term implications of AI-driven automation. Whether it’s negotiating protections, ensuring fair wages in an evolving job market, or providing training for new skill sets, unions that take the lead on AI-related challenges will be best positioned to serve their members in the years ahead.

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As workplaces evolve, so too must the unions that serve them. The LaborStrong Perceptions and Priorities of Labor Survey highlights a pivotal moment for organized labor: the need to address the challenges of today’s workforce while maintaining the principles that have guided them for generations. From advocating for fair wages to tackling the complexities of AI and work-life balance, unions are uniquely positioned to shape the future of work. But to do so, they must adapt swiftly and boldly. For the emerging workforce, unions are not just a symbol of the past—but a way to bring modern solutions to modern concerns. The question now is whether unions will rise to meet this call. The next few years may well define their legacy for decades to come.

“This survey is a wake-up call: unions that stay stagnant risk losing relevance,” says Morrone. “But those that embrace change, by addressing AI, work-life balance, and the future of work, have an opportunity to lead a new era of worker advocacy. The path forward isn’t just about preserving unions—it’s about redefining their role in a rapidly evolving workforce.”