Youth-Adult Differences in the Demand for Unionization: Are American, British, and Canadian Workers All That Different?

Alex Bryson, Rafael Gomez, Morley Gunderson () and Noah Meltz

Journal of Labor Research, 2005, vol. 26, issue 1, 155-167

Abstract: We examine demand for union membership amongst young and adult workers in Britain, Canada, and the United States. Using a model of representation advanced by Farber (1983, 2001) and Riddell (1993), we find that a majority of the union density differential between young and adult workers in all three countries is due to supply-side constraints rather than a lower desire for unionization by the young. This finding lends credence to two conjectures: first, tastes for collective representation do not differ substantially among workers (either by nationality or by age) and second, union representation can be fruitfully modeled as an experience-good. The experience-good properties of union membership explain the persistence of union density differentials (in this case between youth and adults) in the face of equal levels of desired representation.

Date: 2005
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Related works:
Working Paper: Youth-Adult Differences in the Demand for Unionisation: Are American, British, and Canadian Workers All That Different? (2002)
Working Paper: Youth-adult differences in the demand for unionisation: are American, British, and Canadian workers all that different? (2002)
Working Paper: Youth-adult differences in the demand for unionization: are American, British and Canadian workers all that different? (2002)
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