Public sector union membership is thriving compared to the private sector. Moreover, public employee unions play a signifi cant role in policy making at every level of government. Yet research on public sector labor relations is sporadic and uneven, perhaps negligible. Why so? Th is article surveys the literature on public sector unionism and seeks to answer that question. Its conclusion points to a course of action for renewing interest in this seminal fi eld among public administration, management, and policy scholars.