Working 9 to 5? Union Membership and Work Hours and Schedules

Ryan Finnigan · Jo Mhairi Hale

57 citations0/0 files storedSocial Forces

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Labor Movements and Unions Labor market dynamics and wage inequality Employment, Labor, and Gender Studies

Abstract

Millions of workers in the United States experience volatile weekly working hours and nonstandard shift work, particularly following the Great Recession. These aspects of work schedules bring greater economic insecurity and work-life conflict, particularly for low-wage workers. In the absence of strong and widespread policies regulating work hours in the United States, labor unions may significantly limit varying hours and nonstandard shifts. However, any benefits of union membership could depend on local unionization rates, which vary widely between states. This paper analyzes the relationship between union membership and varying weekly work hours and nonstandard schedules among hourly workers using data from the 2004–2007 and 2008–2012 Surveys of Income and Program Participation. The results show that union members were significantly less likely to report varying numbers of hours from week to week, particularly in states with relatively high unionization rates. In contrast, union members were more likely to report nonstandard schedules. The earnings penalties for varying hours and nonstandard schedules are significantly weaker among union members than non-members. Altogether, the results demonstrate some of unions’ continued benefits for workers, and some of their limitations.

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References

1984What do unions do 2012Good Jobs, Bad Jobs: The Rise of Polarized and Precarious Employment Systems in the United States, 1970s to 2000s 2000Bad Jobs in America: Standard and Nonstandard Employment Relations and Job Quality in the United States 2011Unions, Norms, and the Rise in U.S. Wage Inequality 2015Occupational outlook handbook, 2014-2015 2011Good Jobs, Bad Jobs: The Rise of Polarized and Precarious Employment Systems in the United States, 1970s-2000s 2003Union Membership and Coverage Database from the Current Population Survey: Note 2011Changing Workplaces to Reduce Work-Family Conflict

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