Bryson, A;
Blanchflower, DG;
Green, CP;
(2021)
Trade Unions and the Wellbeing of Workers.
British Journal of Industrial Relations: an international journal of employment relations
10.1111/bjir.12627.
(In press).
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Abstract
Using data on nearly 2 million respondents from the United States and Europe we show the partial correlation between union membership and employee job satisfaction is positive and statistically significant. This runs counter to findings in the seminal work of Freeman (1978) and Borjas (1979) in the 1970s. For the United States we show the association between union membership and job satisfaction switched from negative to positive in the 2000s. Cohorts with positive union effects over time come to dominate those with negative effects. The negative association between membership and job satisfaction is apparent in cohorts born before the 1960s but turns positive for those born between the 1960s and 1990s. Analyses for Europe since the 2000s confirm the positive association between union membership and worker wellbeing is apparent elsewhere. Panel estimates for the UK also find a positive relation between union membership and job satisfaction. A positive union association with other aspects of worker wellbeing including life satisfaction, happiness, and trust is apparent in cross-sectional data for Europe. Union members are also less likely to be stressed, worried, depressed, sad or lonely. The findings have important implications for our understanding of trade unionism.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Trade Unions and the Wellbeing of Workers |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/bjir.12627 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/bjir.12627 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | trade unions, job satisfaction, worker wellbeing |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129990 |
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