LABOR’S PEACE PARADOX | THE IMPACT OF THE RIGHT TO STRIKE ON THE GRIEVANCE PROCESS

For most unions in the United States, ‘no strike’ collective bargaining clauses are the most visible manifestation of the twentieth-century industrial relations commitment to maintaining ‘labor peace.’ Unions and employers agree to a detailed contractual grievance and arbitration process in exchange for workers waiving a right to strike and assurances from management to address worker … Read more

The State of the Unions 2022 | A Profile of Unionization in Chicago, in Illinois, and in the United States

Labor unions have historically delivered pathways into good, middle-class careers. Through collective bargaining, union workers earn higher wages, are more likely to have health insurance coverage, and have greater access to paid leave. A recent surge in union activity is taking place following years of worsening inequality, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a national labor shortage.Read … Read more

THE APPLICATION AND IMPACT OF LABOR UNION DUES IN ILLINOIS: AN ORGANIZATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL ANALYSIS

An estimated 15.2 percent of Illinois’ workers are represented by a union. These workers can voluntarily choose to leave their unionized workplace, opt out of paying certain dues, or vote to decertify their labor organization. Thus, labor unions in Illinois must continually demonstrate how workers benefit from contributing membership dues. This Policy Brief, conducted jointly … Read more

UNION AND NONUNION HOUSEHOLDS: General Social Survey, 2000-2012

The United States population has always been typified by significant diversity. Particularly since the Industrial Revolution, the residents of modern America have come from a mix of racial, ethnic, gender, educational, religious, and political backgrounds. The industrialization of the economy also induced an expansion in another significant socioeconomic group in America: the union household. Union … Read more

From Union Identity to Union Voting: An Assessment of the 1996 Election

An important but remarkably under analyzed labor studies subject is the relationship between union identity and union member voting behavior. The dominant political theory in America holds that pluralism generates overlapping and crosscutting interests that militate against the formation of a dominant political orientation. However, it is the thesis of this work that once subjected … Read more