Public Sector Collective Bargaining Agreements: How Readable are They?

Abstract

This article assesses the readability of a representative cross-section of public sector collective bargaining agreements. The purpose is to determine how easily public sector union members and officers and first-line supervisors can understand the contracts which affect their working lives. Three clauses (seniority, discipline, and grievance) were analyzed from each of the forty-nine agreements chosen for this study. The readability level of each clause was measured using three commonly accepted readability formulas. The results show that the reading comprehension skills of at least a college graduate are required to understand these clauses easily.