FYI: New York’s unionized workforce shrunk last year to just over 1.9 million workers, or slightly more than one quarter of the workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2001, just over 2 million New Yorkers belonged to unions, representing 26.4 percent of employees. Nevertheless, New York’s workforce remains the most unionized in the country, just beating out Hawaii, Alaska and Michigan–the only other states with more than 20 percent of employees in unions. The BLS released its annual report on union membership yesterday. In addition to state-specific data, the report offers snapshots by industry, race, gender and other demographic characteristics. The most unionized industry: “protective services” such as fire and police, in which 37 percent of workers bargain collectively. [2/26/03]