Reference no: EM133592445
Problem: The Pros and Cons of Collective Bargaining
Fewer employees in the private sector are unionized, compared with those who work in the public sector (15.2 vs. 71.3 percent in 2014).107 Does being in a labour union make a difference for optimal wages and benefits?
On the positive side, by negotiating as a collective, public-sector employees, who are more heavily unionized, can earn, on average, roughly 12 percent more than employees working in the mostly non-unionized private sector. Unions also can protect the rights of workers against capricious actions by employers. Consider the following example:
Task
Question A. Labour-management negotiations might be characterized as more distributive than integrative. Do you agree? Why do you think this is the case? What, if anything, would you do about it?
Question B. If unions have negotiated unreasonable agreements, what responsibility does management or the administration bear for agreeing to these terms? Why do you think they do agree?
Question C. If you were advising union and management representatives about how to negotiate an agreement, drawing from the concepts in this chapter, what would you tell them?