One of the best-known and most-quoted books ever written on labor unions is What Do Unions Do? by Richard Freeman and James Medoff. Published in 1984, the book proved to be a landmark because it provided the most comprehensive and statistically sophisticated empirical portrait of the economic and socio-political effects of unions, and a provocative conclusion that unions are on balance beneficial for the economy and society.The present volume represents a twentieth-anniversary retrospective and evaluation of What Do Unions Do? The objectives are threefold: to evaluate and critique the theory, evidence, and conclusions of Freeman and Medoff; to provide a comprehensive update of the theoretical and empirical literature on unions since the publication of their book; and to offer a balanced assessment and critique of the effects of unions on the economy and society. Toward this end, internationally recognized representatives of labor and management cover the gamut of subjects related to unions.Topics covered include the economic theory of unions; the history of economic thought on unions; the effect of unions on wages, benefits, capital investment, productivity, income inequality, dispute resolution, and job satisfaction; the performance of unions in an international perspective; the reasons for the decline of unions; and the future of unions. The volume concludes with a chapter by Richard Freeman in which he assesses the arguments and evidence presented in the other chapters and presents his evaluation of how What Do Unions Do? stands up in the light of twenty years of additional experience and research. This highly readable volume is a state-of-the-art survey by internationally recognized experts on the effects and future of labor unions. It will be the benchmark for years to come.
Table of Contents:
1: What Do Unions Do? A Twenty-Year Perspective; 2: What Unions Do: Insights from Economic Theory; 3: Historical Insights: The Early Institutionalists on Trade Unionism and Labor Policy; 4: What Effect Do Unions Have on Wages Now and Would Freeman and Medoff Be Surprised?; 5: Unions and Wage Inequality; 6: The Effect of Unions on Employee Benefits and Non-Wage Compensation: Monopoly Power, Collective Voice, and Facilitation; 7: What Do Unions Do for Economic Performance?; 8: Union Voice; 9: What Do Unions Do to the Workplace? Union Effects on Management and HRM Policies; 10: Unionism and Employment Conflict Resolution: Rethinking Collective Voice and Its Consequences; 11: The Impact of Unions on Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Turnover; 12: De-Unionization and Macro Performance: What Freeman and Medoff Didn’t Do; 13: Two Faces of Union Voice in the Public Sector; 14: Unionism Viewed Internationally; 15: Has Management Strangled U.S. Unions?; 16: Organized Labor’s Political Scorecard; 17: What Do Unions Do? Evaluation and Commentary; 18: What Do Unions Do? A Management Perspective; 19: What Do Unions Do? A Unionist’s Perspective; 20: What Do Unions Do? The 2004 M-Brane Stringtwister Edition
Review :
-Upon its publication in 1984, Richard Freeman and James Medoff's widely acclaimed What Do Unions Do? rewrote economists' understanding of the impact of labor unions. The book under review, originally published as a six-part symposium in the Journal of Labor Research, reassesses Freeman and Medoff's book and the title question in light of two decades of additional data, experience, and perspective. The contributors are among the field's most respected and well-published scholars. Their 20 chapters approach the issue from a judicious, complementary combination of theoretical, empirical, institutional, international, and historical angles grappling with the impact of unions on wages, inequality, employee benefits, productivity, profitability, human resource management policies, conflict resolution, employee voice, job satisfaction, job turnover, macroeconomic performance, and politics. Highlights include Barry Hirsch's chapter, -What Do Unions Do for Economic Performance?- It concludes that Freeman and Medoff's provocative thesis that unions substantially increase productivity -has not held up well.- Other highlights are Bruce Kaufman's chapter giving an overall assessment and commentary on the original volume and Richard Freeman's closing remarks--which concede little ground to critics. This encyclopedic, balanced volume is a must for any collection on unions, labor studies, or labor economics. Esssential.-
--Choice
-In 1984, Harvard professors Richard Freeman and James Medoff published a book entitled What Do Unions Do?... The book was greatly discussed back in the mid-1980s and it remains one of the most frequently cited works in the labor law and economics... The United States is overdue for a rethinking of its authoritarian labor relations law. When that time comes, Perspective will have a role to play in shaping the debate.-
--George C. Leef Regulation Winter, 2008
"Upon its publication in 1984, Richard Freeman and James Medoff's widely acclaimed What Do Unions Do? rewrote economists' understanding of the impact of labor unions. The book under review, originally published as a six-part symposium in the Journal of Labor Research, reassesses Freeman and Medoff's book and the title question in light of two decades of additional data, experience, and perspective. The contributors are among the field's most respected and well-published scholars. Their 20 chapters approach the issue from a judicious, complementary combination of theoretical, empirical, institutional, international, and historical angles grappling with the impact of unions on wages, inequality, employee benefits, productivity, profitability, human resource management policies, conflict resolution, employee voice, job satisfaction, job turnover, macroeconomic performance, and politics. Highlights include Barry Hirsch's chapter, "What Do Unions Do for Economic Performance?" It concludes that Freeman and Medoff's provocative thesis that unions substantially increase productivity "has not held up well." Other highlights are Bruce Kaufman's chapter giving an overall assessment and commentary on the original volume and Richard Freeman's closing remarks--which concede little ground to critics. This encyclopedic, balanced volume is a must for any collection on unions, labor studies, or labor economics. Esssential."
--Choice
"In 1984, Harvard professors Richard Freeman and James Medoff published a book entitled What Do Unions Do?... The book was greatly discussed back in the mid-1980s and it remains one of the most frequently cited works in the labor law and economics... The United States is overdue for a rethinking of its authoritarian labor relations law. When that time comes, Perspective will have a role to play in shaping the debate."
--George C. Leef Regulation Winter, 2008
"Upon its publication in 1984, Richard Freeman and James Medoff's widely acclaimed "What Do Unions Do?" rewrote economists' understanding of the impact of labor unions. The book under review, originally published as a six-part symposium in the "Journal of Labor Research, " reassesses Freeman and Medoff's book and the title question in light of two decades of additional data, experience, and perspective. The contributors are among the field's most respected and well-published scholars. Their 20 chapters approach the issue from a judicious, complementary combination of theoretical, empirical, institutional, international, and historical angles grappling with the impact of unions on wages, inequality, employee benefits, productivity, profitability, human resource management policies, conflict resolution, employee voice, job satisfaction, job turnover, macroeconomic performance, and politics. Highlights include Barry Hirsch's chapter, "What Do Unions Do for Economic Performance?" It concludes that Freeman and Medoff's provocative thesis that unions substantially increase productivity "has not held up well." Other highlights are Bruce Kaufman's chapter giving an overall assessment and commentary on the original volume and Richard Freeman's closing remarks--which concede little ground to critics. This encyclopedic, balanced volume is a must for any collection on unions, labor studies, or labor economics. Esssential."
"--Choice"
"In 1984, Harvard professors Richard Freeman and James Medoff published a book entitled "What Do Unions Do?.".. The book was greatly discussed back in the mid-1980s and it remains one of the most frequently cited works in the labor law and economics... The United States is overdue for a rethinking of its authoritarian labor relations law. When that time comes, "Perspective" will have a role to play in shaping the debate."
--George C. Leef "Regulation Winter," 2008
"Upon its publication in 1984, Richard Freeman and James Medoff's widely acclaimed "What Do Unions Do?" rewrote economists' understanding of the impact of labor unions. The book under review, originally published as a six-part symposium in the "Journal of Labor Research, " reassesses Freeman and Medoff's book and the title question in light of two decades of additional data, experience, and perspective. The contributors are among the field's most respected and well-published scholars. Their 20 chapters approach the issue from a judicious, complementary combination of theoretical, empirical, institutional, international, and historical angles grappling with the impact of unions on wages, inequality, employee benefits, productivity, profitability, human resource management policies, conflict resolution, employee voice, job satisfaction, job turnover, macroeconomic performance, and politics. Highlights include Barry Hirsch's chapter, "What Do Unions Do for Economic Performance?" It concludes that Freeman and Medoff's provocative thesis that unions substantially increase productivity "has not held up well." Other highlights are Bruce Kaufman's chapter giving an overall assessment and commentary on the original volume and Richard Freeman's closing remarks--which concede little ground to critics. This encyclopedic, balanced volume is a must for any collection on unions, labor studies, or labor economics. Esssential." "--Choice"
"In 1984, Harvard professors Richard Freeman and James Medoff published a book entitled "What Do Unions Do?". The book was greatly discussed back in the mid-1980s and it remains one of the most frequently cited works in the labor law and economics. The United States is overdue for a rethinking of its authoritarian labor relations law. When that time comes, "Perspective" will have a role to play in shaping the debate."
-- George C. Leef "Regulation Winter", 2008
