David B. Lipsky

The Influence of Collective Bargaining on Teachers' Salaries in New York State

Examination of the influence of collective negotiations on teacher salaries in New York, New York. Preliminary analysis; Model of salary determination for public school teachers; Differences in teacher characteristics; Comparison with other salaries. (Abstract copyright EBSCO.)

The Composition of Strike Activity in the Construction Industry

Shows that strikes in the construction industry in the United States have, by most measures, increased during the years since 1949. Categories of construction strike activity according to the major cause of the stoppage; Measures of strike activity; Major source of the increasing frequency of construction strikes. (Abstract copyright EBSCO.)

The Ascendancy of Employment Arbitrators in US Employment Relations: A New Actor in the American System?

In this paper, we survey the underpinnings of the trend towards employment arbitration in the United States, and its implications for the broader industrial relations system. Specifically, we address the question of whether or not employment arbitrators have been substituted for collective bargaining by the government to an extent that warrants their inclusion as an actor in the industrial relations system. We review developments in workplace dispute resolution in the United States, the literature that attempts to explain these developments and posit an assessment of the stability of employment arbitration, and employment arbitrators, as a central feature of the US industrial relations system.

The Effect of Collective Bargaining on Teacher Pay: A Review of the Evidence

This analysis examines the effect of collective bargaining on teacher pay in the light of an early theory of teacher bargaining power. Trends in the salaries of teachers are discussed, and the methodology and results of major studies are critically analyzed. The problems with existing research are noted and suggestions for researchers and all partisans are presented.

Collective bargaining in American industry : contemporary perspectives and future directions

action, to illustrate the advantages of mediating a commercial dispute. In each scenario, the dispute arises when a family member is dismissed from a family-owned business. In one case, the discharged worker goes to her lawyer and proceeds with agonizing slowness through the cumbersome, expensive, and (to her) often incomprehensible steps of a lawsuit. In the other case, the woman goes to her lawyer and is persuaded to use mediation, which resolves the problem easily, quickly, and in a way that makes sense to her. The advantages of mediation that the authors are obviously touting-as both a problem-solving process and an emotional catharsis-are real, but too often they are played up by overstating the negative aspects of litigation. Not all disputes are as readily amenable to mediation as is suggested here. On the other hand, the kind of case the authors chose to dramatize is one that is eminently well suited for mediation, because it is one in which the relationships among the parties are an integral part of the problem. The monetary results of the lawsuit fail to take account of the relationships; the mediated plan recognizes and incorporates them. Additional resources for consumers seeking alternative dispute resolution are included as an appendix, but some of the listings have outdated addresses and phone numbersmine, for example. The book also contains a brief bibliography that can serve as a good beginners guide.

Interplant Transfer and Terminated Workers: A Case Study

Provides information on a case study about the implication of interplant transfer and employee termination. Management and financial condition of General Foods Corporation; Discussion of labor mobility; Programs created to aid the unemployed; Analysis of employee wages and incentives. (Abstract copyright EBSCO.)

The Effect of Gender on Awards in Employment Arbitration Cases: The Experience in the Securities Industry

In this article we analyze the outcomes of nearly 3200 awards issued in employment disputes settled by arbitration in the securities industry over the period 1986–2008. The large amount of litigation in the securities industry alleging discrimination by securities firms against the women they employ led us to hypothesize that women would do less well than men in these arbitration cases. Regression analysis reveals that the gender of the complainant and the complainants attorney (but not the gender of the respondents attorney or the arbitrator) had significant effects on the size of the awards. Regardless of the definition of the dependent variable, female complainants did less well than male complainants in these employment arbitration cases. In most estimates, the gender of the attorney representing the complainant also affected the size of the award: male attorneys obtained larger awards than female attorneys. We conclude that these gender differentials are more likely to be the consequence of employment conditions in the securities industry rather than biases in the arbitration process.

The Long Haul Effects of Interest Arbitration: The Case of New York State's Taylor Law

The authors examine debates about the effects of mandatory interest arbitration on police and firefighters in New York State under the Taylor Law from 1974 to 2007. Comparing experience with interest arbitration in the first three years after the law was adopted with experiences from 1995 to 2007, the authors find that no strikes occurred under arbitration and that rates of dependence on arbitration declined considerably. Moreover, the effectiveness of mediation prior to and during arbitration remained high, the tripartite arbitration structure continued to foster discussion of options for resolution among arbitration panel members, and wage increases awarded under arbitration matched those negotiated voluntarily by the parties. Econometric estimates of the effects of interest arbitration on wage changes in a national sample suggest wage increases differed little in states with arbitration from those without it. The authors therefore propose a role for interest arbitration in national labor policy.

Unemployment insurance and strikes

In several states workers who are unemployed because of a labor dispute can collect unemployment benefits. Due to imperfect experience rating, such policies can create a public subsidy to strikes. This study examines whether these policies affect strike activity. In particular, both cross-sectional and fixed effects models are employed to test whether an increase in the public subsidy inherent in unemployment insurance leads to an increase in strike frequency.

Caregivers and Computers: Key Lessons from the Adoption and Implementation of EMR in New York State Nursing Homes

This chapter presents an overview of our evaluation of the introduction of electronic medical records (EMR) in 20 nursing homes located in the New York City region. These organizations were part of an EMR demonstration project cosponsored by the for-profit segment of the nursing home industry in the region and 1199SEIU United Health Care Workers East, the union that represented frontline staff in these organizations. We report central lessons from our evaluation, which took place over the course of four years and included multiple data sources. The primary purpose of our research was to examine the effects of EMR adoption on employment and labor relations in the participating organizations. Findings are based on a longitudinal study of EMR adoption in 15 of the 20 organizations that received the EMR technology and five “control” organizations, which did not receive the technology, employing a mixed methodological design with both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Results from our research inform the existing EMR adoption discussion in two ways. First, we find mixed evidence associated with EMR implementation. The adoption of this new technology enhances certain organizational outcomes, but it seems to hinder others. Second, findings from our research highlight the importance of preexisting organizational factors as predictors of EMR-associated outcomes. EMR-associated outcomes, positive or negative, are likely to be contingent on key organizational characteristics and on managerial adoption strategies. Our studys findings imply that the meaningful use of EMR needs to take into account not only the technical specifications of EMR but also the organizational characteristics of the physician practices and healthcare facilities adopting the technology. Healthcare organizations vary in their capacity and ability to make optimal use of health information technology, which should be incorporated into public policy and organizational practices designed to increase adoption.