Labor Relations in the Public Sector

• NCJ Number: 92984
• Author(s): R C Kearney
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 346 pages
• Sale Source: Marcel Dekker, Inc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Public Administration and Public Policy, Number 21

Annotation

This book explores the major concerns of public-sector labor and management in the current bargaining environment, including the differences between public- and private-sector unionization and collective bargaining, the complex effects of recent economic trends (including the taxpayer revolt and ensuing government fiscal difficulties), the current legal environment, and political interactions.

Abstract

The opening chapter considers the uniqueness of unionization and collective bargaining in the public sector through a review of the history of the American trade union movement, an examination of the factors that contributed to the growth of public sector unions, consideration of the growth and future prospects for government unions, and a description of major employee organizations in Federal, State, and local governments. The subsequent chapter describes the legal environment of public-sector labor relations in the Federal, State, and local sectors, followed by a chapter that examines the multidimensional bargaining process in the public sector, including a look at the politics of public-sector collective bargaining. The monetary impacts of public employee unions (the budgetary process and employee wages/benefits) are then assessed, concluding with a brief description and analysis of productivity bargaining. A chapter is also devoted to the impact of unions on public personnel administration, with attention to merit systems and their relationship to the principle of merit. The exploration of the anatomy of public employee strikes in the United States presents data on their frequency, followed by arguments for and against such strikes. Relevant legislation is summarized, along with research findings on why public workers go on strike. The strike tactics and strategies of employers and unions are examined and some speculation is offered on public employee job actions in the future. Another chapter explores the principal measures used in public-sector impasse resolution -mediation, fact finding, and arbitration. The chapter concludes with a look at new resolution techniques that have been tested in several jurisdictions. Attention is also focused on the primary means of living peacefully with the contract -- a responsive and effective grievance procedure culminating in binding arbitration. The final chapter considers the future of public employee unions in the context of difficult economic times for governments, changes in public employment, and the impact of these changes on public employee unions and collective bargaining.