Katrien Stevens, University of Sydney - Revisiting the Union Dissatisfaction Paradox: Evidence from Aspiring Union Members

Title:  Revisiting the Union Dissatisfaction Paradox: Evidence from Aspiring Union Members

Authors: Timothy C.G. Fisher, Darcy Minton Sparke, Katrien Stevens, Stephen Whelan

Abstract: Why do union members report lower job satisfaction than non-members despite the benefits of union representation? Using longitudinal Australian data, we revisit this union dissatisfaction paradox by identifying non-members who desire union membership. This group provides a novel test of competing sorting and voice explanations. Under sorting, aspiring and actual union members should exhibit similar patterns of dissatisfaction. Instead, after accounting for worker and worker-job heterogeneity, aspiring union members are dissatisfied primarily with work conditions, whereas union members are dissatisfied primarily with management. The findings suggest that dissatisfaction with work conditions motivates the demand for representation, while union voice shapes how dissatisfaction is subsequently expressed.

Presenter:  Katrien Stevens, University of Sydney

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