Abstract
The federal government is extensively organized in terms of the number of employees belonging to exclusively recognized bargaining units. Yet, the largest federal-employee union is in serious financial trouble because of its relatively small membership. This article examines bargaining representation and union membership data among the three principal federal-employee unions during the 1981–1987 period. It finds that 1) each union faces a sizable free rider problem, and 2) the magnitude of the problem differs substantially across unions. The article discusses the financial implications of this problem and offers insights as to future directions in federal-sector unionism.
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