Collective bargaining with public employees in Florida is conducted in the sunshine. This empirical study examines support for sunshine bargaining (SB) in Florida and the effects of open meeting requirements on negotiations. Perceptions of the pros and cons of open bargaining are reported, and the effects of predictor variables on support for SB are analyzed. Findings show substantial support for open bargaining and suggest the need for revisions in generalizations reported in the literature concerning the consequences of public participation on negotiations. Experience-based attitudinal factors were more powerful than level of participation or demographic factors in explaining support for SB.
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