The paper which follows was written in response to recent discussions in the professional literature about the appropriateness of union membership for allied health professionals. The paper looks first at the concept of professionalism, the relevance of labelling an occupational group as professional, and its implications for this discussion. It then explores some of the reasons for the choice of membership in either a union or a professional organization. Finally, it discusses some possible ways in which this dichotomy can be reconciled and questions whether or not the choice of professional representation needs to be an absolute dichotomy.
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