Study shows ways to win, avoid union elections.

Abstract

Because of an April Supreme Court ruling authorizing the National Labor Relations Board to establish eight collective bargaining units in hospitals, administrators should be concerned with consequences of unionization within their hospitals. A three-year study of union activity at hospitals across the nation indicated a typical pattern of union organization and isolated approaches a hospital should avoid to lessen the likelihood of employee dissatisfaction. Most important, administrators should establish a two-way communication system in which employees feel free to air grievances.