How International Monetary Fund and World Bank policies undermine labor power and rights

Based on reviews of hundreds of loan and project documents from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, this article provides detailed evidentiary support for critics who have long claimed that the international financial institutions require Third World countries to adopt policies that harm the interests of working people. After reviewing loan documents between the IMF and World Bank and 26 countries, the authors show that the institutions' loan conditionalities include a variety of provisions that undermine labor rights, labor power, and tens of millions of workers' standard of living. These include downsizing of the civil service and privatization of government-owned enterprises; promotion of labor flexibility: the notion that firms should be able to hire and fire workers, or change terms and conditions of work, with minimal regulatory restrictions; mandated wage rate reductions, minimum-wage reductions or containment, and spreading the wage gap between government employees and managers; and pension reforms, including privatization, that cut social security benefits. These labor-related policies take place in the context of broader IMF and World Bank structural adjustment packages that emphasize trade liberalization, with macroeconomic policies that further advance corporate interests at the expense of labor.

Collective bargaining practices in the health care industry: an empirical analysis

The study described in this article focuses on the effects of collective bargaining on the health care industry. Due to the wide range of bargaining groups authorized to become unionized in the health care industry, this study concentrates on how collective bargaining affects the nurses in hospitals. The authors also surveyed a number of administrators and nurses in several hospitals in the midwestern part of the United States to secure their opinions about the effect of the union on their profession. The results of the survey are presented. Finally, the authors summarize related themes and interesting points from the literature and the surveys and provide recommendations.

Collective bargaining in 1989: old problems, new issues

Some problems which plagued negotiators throughout the decade continue into the next, and are joined by additional issues such as rising cost of health insurance, family care, and health and safety concerns.

Changes in resident physicians' collective bargaining outcomes as union strength declines

This paper examines the effect of reductions in union bargaining strength on total compensation and compensation mix for resident physicians. The working conditions examined in this paper include hourly wages, life/health insurance, meals on the job, professional liability insurance, and employee grievance procedures. Data for resident physicians with and without collective bargaining agreements are examined for two distinct time periods. The findings suggest that as bargaining strength declined, resident physician unions were less able to deliver advantages in both total compensation and compensation mix. In addition, these unions were more willing to make concessions on fringe benefits than on wage earnings.

Collective bargaining among nurses: current issues and future prospects

Collective bargaining has made substantial progress in the health care industry in recent years, especially among nurses. It is important for health care administrators to consider the underlying issues and the future prospects for collective bargaining by this critical group of health care providers.

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Structural determinants of union activity in hospitals

This study uses national data from the American Hospital Association and the National Labor Relations Board in a multivariate framework to assess the impact of various structural factors on union activity in hospitals. The theoretical framework includes both management and union perspectives in evaluating (1) whether the hospital had a signed collective-bargaining contract in 1980; (2) whether a union election had been held; and (3) whether the union won the election. The results indicate that certain structural characteristics (hospital size, ownership, teaching status, and location) have had a significant impact on union activity in hospitals, while other characteristics (third-party reimbursement and area factors) have not. The results also show that prospective reimbursement has a positive impact on union activity.

Collective bargaining in higher education

Collective bargaining in higher education is a phenomenon that is less than 20 years old. This article chronicles the development of legal jurisdiction and the growth of bargaining activity in the public and private sectors. It focuses on the relevant differences between two- and four-year institutions in the public and private sectors as well as several of the major problem areas in higher education and their current legal status, including the Yeshiva decision. The author cites a number of inconsistent rulings that cover collective bargaining in higher education and takes the position that, in spite of all diversity and inconsistencies, the collective bargaining process continues to grow.

Union activity in hospitals: past, present, and future

Between 1970 and 1980, the percentage of hospitals with one or more collective bargaining contracts increased from 15.7 percent to 27.4 percent. A substantial amount of variation exists in the extent of unionism on the basis of hospital ownership, bed size, and location. Employees are more likely to organize when hospitals in the State are regulated by a mandatory rate-setting program. Unions raise hospital employee's wages--a modal estimate for RNs is about 6 percent; the corresponding figure for nonprofessional employees is about 10 percent. Growth of union activity in hospitals has generally not been a major contributor to hospital wage inflation, and less than 10 percent of the increase in real (relative to the Consumer Price Index) spending for hospital care that occurred during the 1970s can be attributed to union growth. We project that between 45 and 50 percent of all hospitals will have at least one union by 1990.