Male-female differences in the potential for union growth outside traditionally unionized industries

Using recent NLS data on preferences for union representation, this paper examines whether differences by sex exist in the potential for union organizing outside of traditionally unionized industries. The methodology distinguishes between workers’ preferences for union representation and the relative supply of union jobs in explaining interindustry differences in the extent of unionization. Within the private sector, women employed in industries other than those traditionally unionized are found to have at least as strong a preference for unionization as do comparable men but a considerably lower opportunity for unionized employment given the desire for union representation. Comparing the public sector with traditionally organized industries, the greater extent of unionization in the public sector is largely explained by a stronger desire for union representation on the part of both male and female public sector employees. The helpful comments of Rodney Fort, Daniel Hamermesh, Robert Hutchens, and Jon Sonstelie on an earlier draft of the paper are gratefully acknowledged.     

Usages et conceptions des organisations syndicales chez les enseignants du second degré : une comparaison France-Angleterre

This article explores the practices and conceptions of trade union organisations found among secondary school teachers in France and England. To do so, the analysis draws on a set of interviews conducted with members of this professional group in the two countries. The French-English comparison reveals significant differences in terms of the levels of membership and the principles governing union involvement, as well as in the conceptions of trade union organisations that prevail in the two countries. This comparative approach provides a better insight into the link between union involvement and the culture of the teaching profession.     

Union Worker Wage Effect in the Public Sector

This study examines union wage premiums in the public sector for the 1998–2004 period. Unlike previous studies, our approach estimates union wage premiums considering differences in the rewards to education, experience, and other personal characteristics for union and non-union workers. The approach provides a larger estimated wage gap than the traditional approach, and allows for simulations of union–nonunion wage gaps for different types of workers. Moreover, we use an Oaxaca decomposition to explain the larger union–nonunion wage gap in the private sector in comparison to that in the public sector. We find that between 50% and 60% of the difference in union wage premiums between the private and public sectors is due to differences in the way unionized workers are rewarded in the private and public sectors, while the remaining portion is due to differences in personal characteristics of private and public sector workers.

Compensation of Foreign and Domestic Nurses in the US

This study tests the union skill homogeneity hypothesis by examining whether the erosion of foreign-domestic wage differentials reported in past studies varies by union status. We argue that the common practice of unions negotiating standardized wages promotes skill homogeneity that allows high credential-low unmeasured skill foreign nurses the opportunity to receive wages that match high credential domestic nurses without foreign nurses relying heavily on their labor mobility. Findings show returns to domestic experience accrue faster for foreign nurses belonging to a union compared to returns for non-union foreign nurses. In general, findings on pension coverage indicate foreign nurses also benefit from belonging to a union, while findings on employer sponsored health care benefits indicate a lack of any notable differences in the receipt of this compensation by foreign and union status.     

THE IMPACT OF UNIONIZATION ON MOTOR CARRIER COSTS

Union trucking firms have significantly different cost structures than non-union firms. Further, average costs for union firms are higher than for non-union firms even after controlling for higher unionized labor costs. The translog cost function approach used here incorporates a unique dummy variable technique to test not only for overall differences in union/non-union costs, but also to identify which individual cost function parameters differ between the two types of firms. Results suggest that unionized trucking firms are at a competitive disadvantage in the less regulated, post-1980 trucking industry.     

Union Organizing and Membership Growth: Why Don’t They Organize?

This study analyzes U.S. union organizing activity and membership growth from 1990 to 2004, a period in which an overall pattern of union decline continued and in which organizing achieved renewed prominence as both a union policy and public policy issue. Models for organizing activity and membership growth were proposed and tested. Union decentralization and employer opposition were found to be key predictors of organizing activity differences among unions. These same factors, along with organizing activity, helped explain union differences in membership growth, as did a ??Sweeney era?? effect.     

Antecedents of Union Commitment: The Impact of Union Membership Differences in Vertical Dyads and Work Group Relationships

Relational demography has recently been employedto investigate the influence of workplace diversity onorganizational outcomes, such as organizationalcommitment, turnover, and performance (O Reilly,Caldwell, & Barnett, 1989; Tsui & O Reilly, 1989;Tsui, Egan, & O Reilly, 1992; Tsui, Egan, &Porter, 1994). In the present study, we utilize thetechniques and theoretical framework employed in the relational demography literature to examine theimpact of heterogeneous union membership status withinwork groups and vertical dyads, and the effect of thesedifferences on union commitment. A composite dataset was created from two Australianhospitals. Analyses of the data were confined to 460nursing staff who could be identified within 43 specificwork groups (hospital wards). The results indicate that while no relationship was found betweendifferences in membership status among co-workers inwork groups on commitment, differences between membersand their supervisors served to decrease union loyalty and belief in unionism (controlling for otherunion and organizational factors). Importantly, we foundsupport for an interaction effect between work groupsand vertical dyads. Differences in membership status among co-workers were observed to lowerunion loyalty and willingness to work for the union whensupervisors were nonunion members. The implications ofsuch findings for union policy are addressed.     

The retirement behavior of workers covered by union and nonunion pension plans

Previous authors have noted that there are significant differences between the provisions of union and nonunion pension plans. I present evidence that sheds light on two hypotheses. The first (Parsons, 1983) posits that union pensions should encourage earlier retirement because productivity falls as workers age, but union rules prohibit firms from lowering wages. The second (Freeman, 1985) argues that union pension plans reflect the preferences of older, more senior workers. I find some support for both hypotheses. I conducted some of the research for this paper as an economist with Unicon Research Corporation. I thank the National Institute on Aging for funding (grant number 5 RO1 AG06133-03). I also thank Fran Horvath, Mark Kennet, Mark Loewenstein, Bob McIntire, Tom Plewes, Bill Wiatrowski, and three anonymous referees for useful comments. All views and opinions expressed herein are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Institute on Aging, or Unicon Research Corporation.     

Union and nonunion wages at the firm level: A combined institutional and econometric analysis

This paper presents an analysis of union-nonunion wage differences at the intrafirm level. At this level of analysis, modeling of the union effect can be informed by a historical overview of the organizational context of unionization, which is not as feasible at other levels of analysis. The findings suggest that a simultaneous equation (2-stage) model, in which union status is treated as an endogenous variable, is not appropriate in this case. Moreover, OLS estimations of the union effect on wages from a one-stage model in which union status is exogenous is found to be efficient and unbiased. The study suggests that combining institutional details of the organizational context with econometric analysis facilitates a better understanding of not only the magnitude of wage differences but also of how the differences may be interpreted in the context of industrial relations.     

Perceptions of union power,service, and confidence in labor leaders: A study of member and nonmember differences

Attitudes toward specific aspects of unionization held by the subjects of large national samples of the U.S. work force (the1977 Quality of Employment Survey) and the general population (the1972–1978 General Social Surveys) are examined in two separate analyses. Comparisons of the attitudes held by union members and nonmembers are made on specific dimensions of union power and service and confidence in union leaders. Nonmembers are found to have stronger perceptions that unions are influential in running the country and that unions are stronger than employers. Conversely, union members have stronger perceptions that unions offer protection, job security, improve wages and conditions of work, are worth their dues, and have greater confidence in union leaders. Discriminant analysis of data over a five-year period also revealed that union members have a stable higher confidence level in union leaders than nonmembers. Explanations for such union member and nonmember differences are hypothesized. The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of Brent Schooley. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Western Academy of Management meetings at Monterey, California, 1981.     

THE IMPACT OF SKILL ON UNION MEMBERSHIP:

A worker's occupation and industry position in the economy primarily determine gender differences in union membership. However, the data reveal that these economic structural factors are not alone responsible. A specific strategy for rethinking the problem examines bargaining power; skill has been identified as a central factor in worker power. Feminists maintain that gender mediates manual skill's effect on union membership. Logistic regression techniques that test for gender interaction effects support the feminist perspective. Manual skill produces lower rates of union membership for women than men with comparable skills.     

The Effects of Labor Unions on Workplace Performance: New Evidence from France

How do unionization and collective bargaining affect firm profitability? In this paper, we revisit this question using a nationally representative sample of French establishments. In addition to examining union/non-union differences in profitability, we explore the possible sources from which unions capture profits. The results indicate that unionization in France is associated with poorer financial performance in the workplace. The results also indicate that concentration-related profits do not provide an important source of union rents in France. Finally, this study provides strong support for the hypothesis of union appropriation of the returns from long-lived physical capital.     

Race/Ethnic Differences in Effects of Family Instability on Adolescents' Risk Behavior

We used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 7,686) to determine whether racial and ethnic differences in socioeconomic stress and social protection explained group differences in the association between family structure instability and three risk behaviors for White, Black, and Mexican American adolescents: delinquent behavior, age at first nonmarital sex, and age at first nonmarital birth. The positive association between mothers' union transitions and each outcome for White adolescents was attenuated by social protection. The association of instability with age at first sex and first nonmarital birth was weaker for Black adolescents but not for Mexican American adolescents. The weaker association was explained by Black adolescents' more frequent exposure to socioeconomic stress in the context of union instability.     

Union commitment and membership support for political action: An exploratory analysis

Union political activity has always been controversial, even among union members. Research has shown that a sizable minority of union members question the propriety of union political involvement and disagree with union leaders on public policy issues. It has also shown, however, that union members’ commitment to the union may be positively associated with members’ political support. This study extends this research by statistically estimating the relationship between union commitment and members’ support for their national union’s political involvement. Based on the questionnaire responses of several hundred local union members, the findings support a positive relationship between union commitment and political support. The authors wish to thank John Delaney and Cynthia Fisher and an anonymous referee for their comments on an earlier draft of the paper. They also wish to thank the numerous union participants in the study.     

General Feelings Toward Unions and Employers as Predictors of Union Voting Intent

The union voting intention literature shows that many nonunion employees who indicate that they think unions are instrumental in increasing wages, benefits, and working conditions would vote against forming a union. Although American workers have often been characterized as pragmatic with regard to their support for unions, the “disconnect” between union beliefs and union voting intentions just described suggests that more subtle forces are at work. In this paper, it is shown empirically that union instrumentality is a limited predictor of union voting intentions for a recent national cross-section of workers. Rather, more general feelings toward unions and employers are primary. These accounted for a large portion of the variance in union voting intentions, with general feelings towards unions by far the most critical predictor. A concluding section discusses whether the results may reflect changes in union power and changes in employee views of unions. Areas for future research are discussed.     

Worker perceptions of procedural justice in workers’ compensation claims: Do unions make a difference?

The differences between union and nonunion workers’ perceptions of the fairness of the workers’ compensation claims process are examined. The hypothesis tested is that union members should perceive this process as more fair due to union “voice.” The data were collected in a survey of injured workers in Michigan who had filed a workers’ compensation claim. The empirical results indicate that unions have little impact on the perceived fairness of the claims process and that the main contribution of unions is the provision of a complaint mechanism. From the Bill of Rights to Chief Justice Earl Warren’s recurring inquiry of counsel, “but is it fair?” fair treatment has been treated as a value enforceable by law, standing at the very core of the constitutional, political, and social rights of the individual. —Westin and Feliu (1988, p. 255)     

Product selection and costs in a partially unionized industry

This paper examines differences in costs among union and nonunion firms operating in the multiple and competitive lumber markets; develops a model of output and product selection decisions; and then estimates the cost function implied by the model for a sample of sawmills that produce green and dry lumber. Overall, the average variable costs for the green technology are about 67 percent higher for union mills and, for the dry technology, costs are about 30 percent higher. However, differences inminimum average variable costs are negligible in the dry market but are significant in the green market. The results suggest that some union mills may be able to coexist with nonunion mills in a competitive industry by specializing in market niches determined by comparative cost advantages. The authors gratefully acknowledge comments from James Bennett, Jo Anna Gray, Chris Ellis, Stephen Haynes, Joe Kerkvliet, and an anonymous referee.     

Transformational Leadership in Labor Organizations: The Effects on Union Citizenship Behaviors

This study suggests that transformational leadership influences union citizenship behavior by fostering a covenantal relationship between the union and the union member. A framework for covenantal relationships is developed from social exchange and social identity theories. Transformational leadership behavior was found to be strongly related to perceived union support, a social exchange construct. The results also indicated that there are positive and significant relationships between other social exchange constructs such as felt obligation and trust. Social identity theory is used to augment social exchange theory in explaining the process by which transformational leadership behaviors relate to union citizenship behaviors through union-based self-esteem. Limitations of the study, implications for union management, and directions for future research issues are discussed.     

An economic analysis of public sector collective bargaining and strike activity

This paper develops a theory of public sector collective bargaining and uses it to investigate the economic determinants of public sector strike activity. The model considers union leaders, union members, bureaucrats, politicians, and voters, with the intention of explicitly recognizing both the constraints placed on the bargaining parties by their constituents and the differences between public and private sector collective bargaining. The empirical results indicate that only in cases where both negotiating parties are motivated by self-interest can we expect frequent strikes and strikes of long duration. The results also suggest that public sector strikes are countercyclical and principally influenced by the business cycle and its impact on state and local revenues.     

Blurring the boundaries of sports public relations: National stereotypes as sport announcers’ public relations tools

Live media coverage is a key element of the relationship between a sport and its publics. The role of television producers, including announcers, is to connect effectively with the public, creating an entertaining and engaging package that keeps viewers watching. In considering this as an aspect of public relations, this paper explores how national stereotypes function to present a consistent and easily interpretable set of messages that capture publics by reinforcing their existing understandings and by providing resources for enhancing the drama and uncertainty that is such a desirable aspect of the sport audience experience. Mapping the elements of the stereotype of Frenchness in rugby union as a case study, our analysis is based on interviews with well-known French and New Zealand rugby union announcers and analyses of a decade of broadcasts of France versus New Zealand tests. We conclude that the use of stereotypes, based on the creation of differences between national teams, can be conceived of as an effective form of public relations which heightens interest and reinforces patriotic subject positions for viewers and therefore mobilises a national public.