Employee Involvement Programs and Collective Bargaining: The Role of Labor Relations Climate

Matthew M. Bodah
Patrick P. McHugh
Seong Jae Yim

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DOI: 10.2190/CN.32.3.f

Abstract

In this article, we examine the inclusion of employee involvement (EI) programs in collective bargaining agreements. After reviewing the importance of both EI and of collective bargaining agreements in American industrial relations, we develop a typology of EI programs and test two competing theories for the inclusion of such programs in contracts. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics archive of collective bargaining agreements and from an original survey of 427 labor and management practitioners, we find that the inclusion of EI programs in collective bargaining agreements is associated with relatively lower levels of trust and cooperation between the parties. Our finding supports other recent research, which suggests, contrary to prior belief, that harmonious labor/management relations are not a necessary prerequisite for the development of EI programs.

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