Choosing union representation: the role of attitudes and emotions

Abstract

In the United States, most unions are recognised by a majority vote of employees through union representation elections administered by the government. Most empirical studies of individual voting behaviour during union representation elections use a rational choice model. Recently, however, some have posited that voting is often influenced by emotions. We evaluate competing hypotheses about the determinants of union voting behaviour by using data collected from a 2010 representation election at Delta Air Lines, a US‐based company. In addition to the older rational choice framework, multiple regression results provide support for an emotional choice model. Positive feelings toward the employer are statistically significantly related to voting ‘no’ in a representation election, while positive feelings toward the union are related to a ‘yes’ vote. Effect sizes for the emotion variables were generally larger than those for the rational choice variables, suggesting that emotions may play a key role in representation election outcomes.

Assessing Employee Support during Union Organizing Campaigns

“…We first used these data to test theories that predict votes in union representation elections. See Eaton et al (2014). 4.…”

“…We reviewed the literature on union voting and tested theories from the literature in an earlier paper using some of these same data. See Eaton et al (2014). 8.…”

“…In 2008, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines acquired a financially struggling Northwest Airlines to create what was, at the time, the world's largest passenger airline (Eaton et al 2014). Prior to the merger of the two groups, Delta was a largely nonunion airline (only its pilots and dispatchers were represented by labor unions), while Northwest was heavily unionized.…”

Race Differences in Motivations for Joining Unions: The Role of Prosocial Beliefs

“…This ideological consideration represents “the value‐based social‐movement aspects of unions … an ideological aspect that transcends private exchange and encompasses wider notions of community and social justice” (Snape and Redman, :856–57). Kimeldorf (:100), for example, pointed out how unions have traditionally been seen as “not only economically based interest groups but potential vehicles of social change … .” Similarly, Rosenfeld (:5) referred to unions’ equalizing effect: “for decades the labor movement was vital in supporting the economic and civic advancement of historically disadvantaged populations.” Research tends to show that both motivations are operative (Eaton et al., ; Fiorito, ; Martinez and Fiorito, ), although no research has compared their relative importance.…”

“…Similarly, Rosenfeld (2014:5) referred to unions' equalizing effect: "for decades the labor movement was vital in supporting the economic and civic advancement of historically disadvantaged populations." Research tends to show that both motivations are operative (Eaton et al, 2014;Fiorito, 1992;Martinez and Fiorito, 2009), although no research has compared their relative importance.…”