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Union Membership does not pay

Author

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  • Mathieu Bunel

    (CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Gilles Raveaud

    (UP8 - Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis)

Abstract

We used a French employer-employee representative survey to estimate, within private firms covered by union contracts, the union member wage premium. Our estimates are based on several methods: ordinary least squares with averaged individual characteristics at the workplace level, the propensity score and separated equations. We found no wage penalty for non union members. There exists a union membership wage premium for blue collar and office workers, which is of a limited amount (around 3%). Thus, for most workers in France, there is no important financial gain associated with union membership.

Suggested Citation

  • Mathieu Bunel & Gilles Raveaud, 2011. "Union Membership does not pay," Working Papers halshs-00868217, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00868217
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00868217
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    References listed on IDEAS

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