Union Density and Human Trafficking: Can Organized Labor Discourage Trafficking?

Author: Bowersox, Zack

Abstract: Two key factors said to create conditions in which forced labor occurs are a lack of information regarding fair pay, and a lack of bargaining power for laborers. In short, employers can take advantage of laborers through favorable information and power asymmetries. If this is the case, then we might suspect that in those states where labor unions are stronger, trafficking for the purpose of forced labor should be less likely as they are able to mitigate both factors. Logistic regressions testing just such a relationship provide support, at both the individual and state level, for the assertion that where union density is greater labor trafficking is less likely to occur. While not addressing the socio-economic roots of labor trafficking, these findings do suggest a market-side response to this crime.

Keywords: human trafficking, forced labor, labor rights, human rights, migration, slavery