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Trade Unions and the Reform of the Quality of Work Life: Ergonomic and Other QWL Reforms Have Limited Goals and Are Held No Substitute for Labor Involvement
Author(s) -
DiGiacomo Gordon
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
american journal of economics and sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.199
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1536-7150
pISSN - 0002-9246
DOI - 10.1111/j.1536-7150.1987.tb01987.x
Subject(s) - collective bargaining , context (archaeology) , bargaining power , work (physics) , power (physics) , quality (philosophy) , labor relations , quality of working life , labour economics , business , public relations , economics , political science , management , engineering , microeconomics , job satisfaction , mechanical engineering , paleontology , philosophy , physics , epistemology , quantum mechanics , biology
A bstract . North American labor unions have typically responded to management‐ initiated Quality of Work Life (QWL) reforms: by co operating in their design and implementation , or by rejecting involvement and relying on traditional collective bargaining. Neither response addresses the distribution of organizational power. Workplace reform in North America confines itself to the technical aspects of job design. Traditional collective bargaining, however, tends to be highly circumscribed, focusing on pay and fringe benefits. To be meaningful, workplace reform must take place within a context of changing power relations between unions and managements Otherwise it may be overwhelmed by events occurring in the external environment. Labor unions , therefore, need to participate in QWL initiatives while simultaneously making new types of demands at the bargaining table, and seeking input into strategic decisions.