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PubMed2006

Prevalence of and interest in unionization among staff pharmacists.

BACKGROUND: Although the propensity for staff pharmacists to join a labor union has never been high, conditions in the profession and workplace have changed over the last decade. Some of these changes may result in staff pharmacists joining a labor union, as well as increased interest in staff pharmacists who are currently not union members to join. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the degree of union membership among staff pharmacists in 6 states, (2) compare the practice settings, work activities and conditions, compensation, and demographic characteristics between union and nonunion staff pharmacists, (3) assess the level of interest in joining a union among nonunion staff pharmacists, and (4) compare the practice settings, work activities and working conditions, wages and benefits, and demographic characteristics between nonunion staff pharmacists interested in joining a union and nonunion staff pharmacists who were not interested in joining a union. METHODS: A biennial pharmacist compensation study was conducted in 6 states (Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Tennessee, Wisconsin) in late 2003. Randomly selected pharmacists were mailed a self-administered questionnaire asking about their practice setting, work activities and conditions, wages and benefits, and demographic characteristics. Respondents were also asked to indicate current membership in a union and, if not a member, their desire to unionize their workplace. RESULTS: Compensation and unionization data were provided by 2,180 respondents (27% usable response rate), of which 1,226 (56%) were staff pharmacists. Eight percent of the staff pharmacists were union members, whereas 18% of nonunion members would vote to unionize their workplace. There were few statistically significant differences between union and nonunion staff pharmacists regarding work activities, working conditions, and hourly wages. However, the benefits provided to union staff pharmacists differed from those provided to nonunion staff pharmacists in several ways. Union staff pharmacists were younger than their nonunion counterparts (40.9 vs 44.5 years, P=.01), yet had worked for their current employers a longer time (11.1 vs 7.3 years, P=.03). Nonunion staff pharmacists interested in joining a union differed from those who would not by practice location and setting, working conditions, and benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Although the union membership rate among staff pharmacists is relatively low, there are geographic and practice areas where membership rates are higher. Differences in work activities, working conditions, wages, and benefits were noted between union and nonunion staff pharmacists as well as between those who would join a union and those who would not. These differences merit further investigation, especially with respect to evaluating the effectiveness of unions and identifying factors that may lead nonunionized staff pharmacists to join a union.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

A labor perspective of workplace violence prevention. Identifying research needs.

BACKGROUND: During the past decade, labor unions have contributed to efforts to increase awareness of the importance of workplace violence as an occupational hazard. Research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the U.S. Department of Justice have bolstered these efforts. This research revealed that workplace violence is the second leading cause of traumatic-injury death on the job for men, the leading cause of traumatic-injury death on the job for women, and accounts for some 2 million nonfatal injuries each year in the United States. LABOR PERSPECTIVE: Ten years ago, the debate focused on whether workplace violence is an occupational hazard or strictly a police and criminal justice issue. Labor unions have joined with occupational safety and health professionals in recognizing that workplace violence is a serious occupational hazard that is often predictable and preventable. They have advocated that employers establish multidimensional violence-prevention programs. CONCLUSION: Although the nature of workplace violence varies from industry to industry, implementation of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Violence Prevention Guidelines for Health Care and Social Service Workers and for Late-Night Retail Establishments is a high priority to unions in the affected industries. Labor wants employers to invest in protecting workers from violence through voluntary programs and state legislation, and it supports the promulgation of a mandatory federal OSHA standard. To that end, intervention research can play a key role in demonstrating effective, technically and economically feasible prevention strategies

Homicide↗
PubMed2005

Smoke-free airlines and the role of organized labor: a case study.

Labor unions play an important role in debates about smoke-free worksites. We investigated the role of flight attendants and their unions in creating smoke-free air travel. We used case study methodology to search tobacco industry documents and labor union periodicals and to interview key informants (i.e., people identified as having first-hand information and experience in the campaign to make airlines smoke free). We then compared findings across these data sources. Tobacco industry strategies against the establishment of smoke-free worksites failed in the case of airlines, largely because of the efforts of flight attendants and their unions. Other factors contributed to the failure but likely would have been insufficient to derail industry efforts without strong stands by the flight attendants. This case illustrates the potential for successful partnerships between unions and tobacco control policy advocates when developing smoke-free worksite policies.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2001

Health care workers' unions and health insurance: the 1199 story.

Labor unions that represent health care workers encounter unique circumstances. This study focuses on 1199--the largest health care workers' union in the United States, based in New York City--and describes how the union and its National Benefit Fund have structured a managed indemnity health insurance program that provides extensive benefits for its members. The authors detail the workings of the National Benefit Fund and the ways in which it can improve the health care of its members through its union structure. The Fund represents a model for improving the provision of health care to Americans.

Community Participation↗
PubMed2003

Worksite tobacco control policies and labor-management cooperation and conflict in New York State.

This article summarizes the origins and implementation of labor-management negotiated tobacco control policies in public workplaces in New York State during the 1980s and 1990s. It is an in-depth case study that illustrates the confrontation and cooperation among three main social actors involved in the design and implementation of workplace smoking policies: public-sector labor unions, public health professionals, and state managers. The policy debates, legal, and political issues that emerge from this history suggest hopeful avenues for improving the dialogue and cooperation on the design and implementation of workplace smoking policies between and among public health professionals, managers, and labor union leaders in the United States. Understanding how these parties can reach agreement and work together may help tobacco control advocates and labor leaders join forces to enact future tobacco control policies.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1989

Legal implications of physician unionization.

A review of the above material should make it plain that there is no legal method for a large group of private, practicing physicians to organize and negotiate fees with any semblance to the power of labor unions. Antitrust and labor laws make such attempts illegal. On the other hand, PPOs, IPAs, and various other strategies can be somewhat helpful. However, even with these types of organizations, the legal structure, corporate bylaws, board resolutions and subjects of meetings must be carefully planned and continually monitored. Otherwise, the time, effort and money spent on the endeavor may be futile.

Labor Unions↗
PubMed1987

Health maintenance organizations and physicians: impact and response.

The considerable growth of health maintenance organizations is significantly changing the traditional systems under which physicians have historically practiced medicine. Allowable cost reimbursement, fee-for-service payment, and private practice are being confronted with the spread of HMOs and the shift of physicians to capitated payment systems or salaried employment status. The disruption in physicians' work lives has led to a number of collective responses including militant resistance to HMOs, the creation of physician-controlled HMOs, affiliation with union-like mutual benefit organizations, and the establishment of physician labor unions. This paper examines the impact of these changes on physicians and the nature and likely success of the responses being made.

Health Maintenance Organizations↗
PubMed2004

Union commitment and participation: a 10-year longitudinal study.

The authors longitudinally investigated the causal nature of the relationship between union commitment and participation in informal union activities. A total of 134 members of the National Association of Letter Carriers were studied over a 10-year period. Using cross-lagged regression analysis, early union commitment was found to predict the level of informal union participation 10 years later. The reverse and reciprocal relationships were not supported. These findings support and extend earlier research on the causal nature of the short-term relationship between union commitment and participation. The implications of the findings for researchers and labor unions are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Healing loss, ambiguity, and trauma: a community-based intervention with families of union workers missing after the 9/11 attack in New York City.

A team of therapists from Minnesota and New York worked with labor union families of workers gone missing on September 11, 2001, after the attack on the World Trade Center, where they were employed. The clinical team shares what they did, what was learned, the questions raised, and preliminary evaluations about the multiple family meetings that were the major intervention. Because of the vast diversity, training of therapists and interventions for families aimed for cultural competence. The community-based approach, preferred by union families, plus family therapy using the lens of ambiguous loss are proposed as necessary additions to disaster work.

Aircraft↗
PubMed1997

The Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union: refining strategies for labor.

In a period of declining union membership and severe economic and environmental crisis it is important that labor unions rethink their traditional roles and organizational goals. Responding to some of these problems and reflecting a history of innovative and progressive unionism, the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (OCAW) has sought to address occupational and environmental health problems within the context of a political struggle. This study suggests that by joining with the environmental movement and community activists, by pursuing a strategy of coalition building, and by developing an initiative to build and advocate for a new political party, OCAW provides a model for reinvigorating trade unionism in the United States.

Chemical Industry↗
PubMed1994

Getting maximum value from employee teams--and keeping them legal.

Today's increasing emphasis on participative management is tending to bring more employees into problem-solving processes and giving them more voice in how they do their work. As a natural consequence of such changes, more is being done with employee teams. However, in some areas of potential involvement, employee teams can be seen as intruding on the territory of labor unions, so there is a constant risk of a given employee team being ruled an illegal labor organization. This problem, actually existing as long as the National Labor Relations Act has been with us but only recently forced into prominence by the Electromation Decision of late 1992, can be solved through observance of sensible guidelines for team organization and operation.

Industry↗