Verified Document

Labor Unions Strike Lengths: Correcting Article Critique

The Ashenfelter and Johnson (1969) model spells out three crucial parties to the strike negotiations: firms, workers, and union representatives. It is assumed that the major considerations for union leaders are "(1) the survival and growth of the union as an institution, and (2) the personal political survival of the leaders (Finley, 2010)." The motivations of the union leaders can be vastly different. Some way focus on the future and strength of the union while others may have their own political ambitions. However, when you consider the union on a whole, the high the percentage of the membership then the more likely the union is to be committed to achieving some goal whether it be better benefits, higher wages, safer conditions, better schedules or other issues that serve as the basis of a strike.

While other studies have also examined similar relationships, this study takes a slightly different approach than previous studies. Previous studies have included data from all strikes that have occurred in a given period. However, this study excludes a certain set of strikes...

Some strikes are announced beforehand and also have a set duration. For example, a strike committee might announce a general strike in a week that will last two days. Strikes like these should not be included in the data to try to find a relationship between bargaining power and strike duration since the duration has already been predetermined.
This distinction makes the regression of the data fit marginally better. The author readily admits that strikes are dynamic in nature and I personally agree with this position. Though the data may suggest a relationship between these variables there are many more factors that are in play and must be considered. Yet, as a general indicator, such a metric could provide some insight into the strength of the union's bargaining power and be used as a decision making tool for all parties involved.

Works Cited

Finley, G. (2010). Strike lengths: Correcting for prestrike announcements and the ration of bargaining size to firm strength. . Journal of Labor Relations,…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Finley, G. (2010). Strike lengths: Correcting for prestrike announcements and the ration of bargaining size to firm strength. . Journal of Labor Relations, 307-321.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Labor Relations A. Labor Unions Play an
Words: 960 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Labor Relations a.) Labor unions play an integral role in the facilitation of labor relations. Labor unions are entities which are comprised of various working class people who are typically not managers. Unions may be codified according to a particular specialty related to a job skill, or by industry. They are organizations that collect dues from their members -- which is typically a finite percentage from the pay checks of the

Labor Unions Are Organizations That
Words: 862 Length: 3 Document Type: Article Critique

In relation to union power and collective bargaining, the merging of unions is conventionally deemed to increase their power of collective bargaining. However, this is not the case as the merging of union into larger unions only increases their collective bargaining power on a national scale (Moody, 2009). This has influenced larger unions such as the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations to delve in politics

Labor Unions Are Communities of Workers Who
Words: 906 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Labor unions are communities of workers who have come together with the purpose of fighting for their rights as a unit. These respective workers typically want fair conditions, to work with persons of integrity, and want to have a peaceful relationship with their employers, as the latter have to act in agreement with a set of requirements in order for this relationship to be possible. With the National Labor Relations

Labor Unions These Are Organizations With Membership
Words: 1116 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Labor Unions These are organizations with membership drawn from the labor force of a particular economy and charged with the responsibility of representing the interests of its members in labor management issues within the work environment. Labor unions can also be specific thereby representing workers employed in various in specific trades and occupations such as communications workers for instance journalists, health care professionals including nurses and doctors, stage and theatrical employees

Labor Unions Are Associations of Workers for
Words: 5800 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

Labor unions are associations of workers for the purpose of improving the economic status and working conditions of the employees through collective bargaining with employers (Union pp). The two general types of unions are the horizontal, or craft, union, which is composed of members who are skilled in a particular craft, such as the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, and the vertical, or industrial, union, which includes

Labor Unions and Their Decline
Words: 2227 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

From this perspective, right-to-work laws are passed in states in which public opinion is anti- union and the labor movement is politically ineffective; in such states, employees are less attracted to unions, and it is this public opinion climate, rather than the legislation itself, that harms union growth (Abraham & Voost 2000). The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation; Bureau of National Affairs (2002), reports that New Jersey does

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now