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The Bargaining Power of Health Care Unions and Union Wage Premiums for Registered Nurses

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  • Christopher Coombs
  • Robert Newman
  • Richard Cebula
  • Mary White

Abstract

For the first time in its history, the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses in 2008 includes a question involving union status. This study utilizes data from this sample to estimate the union/non-union wage premium for registered nurses and among some of the occupational-, workplace-, and individual-specific characteristics. The study finds that standard union wage premium estimates for registered nurses are larger than what were revealed in other relatively recent studies. Upon inspection of various characteristics of registered nurses, the study finds a positive wage gap for union nurses as experience increases. With respect to characteristics of the workplace, there is statistical evidence in the sample that suggests a wage gap for registered nurses in the private- and public- sector, although more distinct in the private-sector. Finally, a positive wage gap is found for union nurses working in hospitals. The lattermost finding is particularly interesting given a specific change in labor law that occurred in the early 1990s that may have resulted in temporal differences in union wage effects within health care. The possibilities that unions “spillover” their bargaining power to help increase the wages of nonunion workers, or that perhaps employers are paying efficiency wages to remain “union-free” are also explored. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Coombs & Robert Newman & Richard Cebula & Mary White, 2015. "The Bargaining Power of Health Care Unions and Union Wage Premiums for Registered Nurses," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 442-461, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jlabre:v:36:y:2015:i:4:p:442-461
    DOI: 10.1007/s12122-015-9214-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Fang, Tony & Hartley, John, 2022. "Evolution of Union Wages and Determinants," IZA Discussion Papers 15333, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Union relative wage; Union wage premium; Union wage gap; Registered nurses; Union bargaining power; Union “threat” effects; Union “spillover” effects; J31; J32; J38; J51;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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