Tradeoffs Among Expressions of Industrial Conflict: Public Sector Strike Bans and Grievance Arbitrat

1
Tradeoffs Among Expressions of Industrial
Conflict Public Sector Strike Bans and
Grievance Arbitrations

• Hebdon and Stern (1998)
• Industrial and Labor Relations Review

2
Suppressing the right to strike

• If suppressed, will other expressions of conflict
  surface?
• Other forms include
• Higher turnover
• Absenteeism
• Sabotage
• Pilfering
• Latent conflict (still real conflict though)
• Grievances

3
Methodology

• Data from Ontario (mid 1980s data of health
  care, govt, and private sector
• Arbitrated grievances examined
• The independent variable in the statistical
  estimation procedure is the grievance arbitration
  rate
• Results in Table 1

4
Results

• No strike laws significantly increase grievance
  arbitrations
• Industrial conflict can be re-directed
• Prior strikes also ? grievance arbitrations
• Costs of striking may be higher than previously
  thought
• Expressions of conflict do not exist or occur in
  isolation from one another (strike bans are not
  without their consequences)