Want a better vacation? Join a union.

WHEN IT COMES to paid leave, the United States lags far behind other industrial nations. In fact, America is the only industrialized country in the world without a mandatory minimum for paid time off. According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Europeans enjoy a 20-day minimum paid leave, although some countries have even higher requirements. In the United States, 27 million workers — one out of four — receive zero paid time off: no paid vacation, no paid holidays. Some politicians are trying to change that. The Paid Vacation Act, H.R. 2564, sponsored by Alan Grayson (D-8th Fla.) would require at least one week of annual vacation to be paid by employers with more than 100 employees.

Meanwhile, unions in the United States once again lead the way in securing benefits for workers. The EPI cites a study of the entire American workforce that shows that after 25 years, union members receive 26.6 percent more paid vacation weeks than non-union workers.