Union Effects in Low-Wage Services

Evidence from Canadian Childcare

Bibliographic Data

ID3234189
AuthorsGordon Cleveland (0000-0002-8588-7987, China University of Labor Relations, corresponding author), Morley Gunderson (0000-0002-2261-8827, University of Toronto, corresponding author), Douglas Hyatt (0000-0001-9946-8241, University of Toronto)
Year2003
Volume56
Issue2
Pages295-305
Publication date2003-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueIndustrial and Labor Relations Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0019-7939 • E-ISSN: 2162-271X
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/001979390305600205
OpenAlexW1976567193
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited18

Empirical evidence presented in this paper, based on survey data for Canadian childcare workers in 1991, contradicts most stereotypes of the childcare labor market. Although childcare labor was low-wage, the authors find that the union impact on wages (15%) and fringe benefits was in line with union effects found in other, better-compensated work, and they find substantial returns to education, occupational level, and firm-specific experience. The returns to the skill-related attributes were blunted somewhat in the union sector, except where such returns stood to benefit the median union voter. The findings suggest that monetary incentives can be used to encourage improvements in the education, experience, and skill acquisition of childcare workers. Unions can improve wages and benefits for childcare workers just as they can for most other workers, suggesting the viability of union organizing in this sector despite the traditional barriers to organizing low-wage service sector workers in small firms

Business · Demographic economics · Economics · Empirical evidence · Incentive · Labor demand · Labor union · Labour economics · Low wage · Service (business) · Tertiary sector of the economy · Wage · Work (physics) · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Labor Movements and Unions

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