Union Membership and Attitudes Toward Participation in Determining Conditions of Work in the Federal Government

Abstract

Data from five federal installations are examined in order to determine the relationship between union membership and (1) perceived influence over the determination of working conditions, and (2) satisfaction with participation in determining work conditions in this sector. Union members, compared with nonmember bargaining unit employees, show lowerperceivedparticipation in determining their annual performance standards and less satisfaction with their influence in creating these standards. Lower satisfaction with influence persists even when perceived amount of influence is controlled, supporting the argument that union members in the federal government seek more influence in determining their conditions of work than nonmembers. These results are not indicative of job dissatisfaction or of distrust between labor and management. Rather, they appear to reflect a positive desire among union members for more influence in the agency.

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