Politics and religion.

[Bonny]

There are a couple reasons for the difference. Unions are attractive to employees who do not feel any control over their worklife - employees who work for large, impersonal employers where the decisions makers are far away from them. That rather defines most public sector jobs - postal service, firefighters, police, teachers, etc. Hospital are becoming fertile ground for union organizers - large organizations - decision makers far away.

Smaller employers are more able to know what is going on in the organization and put out fires. Smaller organization can simply respond faster to problems.

Wages are rarely the reason most union campaigns get started. And most campaigns begin when employees contact the union rather than the other way around. When I was working in labor relations I was involved in a few campaigns - and every time it was the same thing - favoritism - the boss.

For example, in San Diego County the average number of employee is 12. Most people in the US public sector work for small/medium sized employers where the perceived need for a union is less.

You mention favoritism - the boss. What do you mean by that? Like ignoring someones seniority in the company, breaking company rules, as an example. The boss would be non-union working for the company as the employee would be union working for the company type of thing? Do the bosses get reprimanded by the company like firing or transferred someplace else? I know of a company three faults by the employee even if they are protected by the union & out the door they go.