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A New Approach to Resolving the Right-to-work Ethical Dilemma

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  • Helen Lam
  • Mark Harcourt

Abstract

Union security has long been an industrial relations controversy. While compulsory unionism supporters say it benefits the working class, right-to-work advocates denounce it as an unethical infringement of individual rights and freedom. Unfortunately, neither side has adequately addressed the shortcomings of their viewpoint, nor the broader worker concerns about effective representation beyond just “unionismâ€\x9D. In this paper, we examine the ethical and practical problems of compulsory (union security) and voluntary (right-to-work) unionism and propose a new resolution, compulsory proportional representation, that has the advantages of: (a) ensuring workers’ freedom to associate or not associate, (b) promoting freedom to contract, (c) allowing free competition in representation in line with anti-trust principles, (d) improving industrial peace and efficiency, (e) enhancing fairness and social justice, and (f) addressing the employer–employee power imbalance. It is superior to either voluntary unionism, which often lead to management unilateralism, or compulsory unionism, where workers are compelled to join unions against their will. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2007

Suggested Citation

  • Helen Lam & Mark Harcourt, 2007. "A New Approach to Resolving the Right-to-work Ethical Dilemma," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 73(3), pages 231-243, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:73:y:2007:i:3:p:231-243
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-006-9203-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alex Bryson & Rafael Gomez & Morley Gunderson & Noah Meltz, 2005. "Youth-Adult Differences in the Demand for Unionization: Are American, British, and Canadian Workers All That Different?," Journal of Labor Research, Transaction Publishers, vol. 26(1), pages 155-167, January.
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    4. Olaf Hübler & Uwe Jirjahn, 2003. "Works Councils and Collective Bargaining in Germany: The Impact on Productivity and Wages," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 50(4), pages 471-491, September.
    5. David Fairris, 2002. "Are Transformed Workplaces More Productively Efficient?," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(3), pages 659-670, September.
    6. Charles W. Baird, 2000. "Unions and Antitrust," Journal of Labor Research, Transaction Publishers, vol. 21(4), pages 585-600, October.
    7. Carola M. Frege, 2002. "A Critical Assessment of the Theoretical and Empirical Research on German Works Councils," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 40(2), pages 221-248, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Simon Pek, 2019. "Rekindling Union Democracy Through the Use of Sortition," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(4), pages 1033-1051, April.
    2. Michelle Beauchamp & Sandra Benson & Lara Daniel, 2014. "Why the Doctor Will NOT See You Now: The Ethics of Enforcing Covenants Not to Compete in Physician Employment Contracts," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 119(3), pages 381-398, February.

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