For a number of years, public employees and their unions flew under the radar in profoundly influencing politicians, but of late the "cat is out of the bag."
management
Description
Module 7: Unions
Unions
For a number of years, public employees and their unions flew under the radar in profoundly influencing politicians, but of late the "cat is out of the bag." As noted in Module 5, citizens are questioning the salaries, benefits, and entitlements of public employees. For example, an article in the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out that on average San Francisco public sector retirees make more than the average working citizen in the city, as their firefighters top out at $108,000.
It remains to be seen how this will all turn out. In the interim, there are a number of suggestions for dealing with the growing union impact, including labor-management cooperative initiatives. You can find extensive literature on this subject through the USF library. Alan Pennington, in IPMA-HR news, July 2005, describes important issues to be considered by the parties prior to entering a formal relationship:
- Determine the level of trust.
- Identify the initial life expectancy of the cooperative effort.
- Consider the appropriateness of a minimum time commitment.
- Frame the issue(s) to be addressed.
- Outline the authority of the committee.
- Provide for an orderly transition when dissolving a committee.
Unions Discussion
From an employee perspective, what are three advantages of working in a unionized organization? What are three disadvantages?
