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The Impact of Collective Bargaining Legislation on Disputes in the U.S. Public Sector: No Policy May Be the Worst Policy

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  • Janet Currie
  • Sheena McConnell

Abstract

This paper estimates the impact of collective bargaining legislation on disputes during labor negotiations in the U.S. public sector. We use a large national sample of U.S. state and local government contracts to compare the incidence and intensity of disputes by similar workers under different forms of collective bargaining legislation. The breadth of our data allows us to examine the impact of five different forms of legislation. Our principal finding is that strike costs, measured by strike duration and the number of working days lost, are highest in jurisdictions that provide no explicit framework for bargaining or dispute resolution.

Suggested Citation

  • Janet Currie & Sheena McConnell, 1992. "The Impact of Collective Bargaining Legislation on Disputes in the U.S. Public Sector: No Policy May Be the Worst Policy," NBER Working Papers 3978, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:3978
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    1. Casey Ichniowski, 1986. "Public Sector Recognition Strikes: Illegal and Ill-Fated," NBER Working Papers 1808, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Currie, Janet & McConnell, Sheena, 1991. "Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector: The Effect of Legal Structure on Dispute Costs and Wages," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(4), pages 693-718, September.
    3. Henry S. Farber, 1988. "The Evolution of Public Sector Bargaining Laws," NBER Chapters, in: When Public Sector Workers Unionize, pages 129-166, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Richard B. Freeman & Robert G. Valletta, 1987. "The Effect of Public Sector Labor laws on Collective Bargaining, Wages, and Employment," NBER Working Papers 2284, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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