Of the more than 1.1 million Americans who succumbed to COVID-19, as many as one in six were nursing home residents. Those who care for them suffered, too: more than 1 million nursing home workers had tested positive for COVID-19 by April 2022, and more than 2,000 had died of the disease. The vaccine has no doubt done the most to lessen the toll of the ongoing pandemic, but labor unions have done their part as well.

In fact, unionized nursing homes saw 10.8% fewer patient deaths and 6.8% fewer worker infections than their nonunionized counterparts. Why? Researchers point to the safety regulations, paid sick time, personal protective equipment, and reduced likelihood of working multiple jobs that characterize unionized workplaces as major factors. Unions fight for dignified lives for workers — but also, in some cases, for life itself.