Public sector unions around the world are under threat from political forces. Combined, the financial crisis and austerity measures have challenged public sector unions’ legitimacy. In the U.S., the postrecession assault on public sector unions is rooted in political ideology, with not only a...

This paper seeks to understand state capacity to oversee private contractors through the lens of New Jersey state government. It was initially motivated by Governor Christie's appointment in 2010 of a state commission tasked with investigating and recommending opportunities for further...

Public sector unions operate in politically challenging environments. Recent limitations on collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin and attempts to curtail collective bargaining in Ohio are illustrative of union vulnerability to shifts in the political climate. In Wisconsin, only months after...

Home care workers provide assistance with activities of daily living to disabled, chronically ill, cognitively impaired and elderly clients. Home care jobs involve personal, intimate forms of caregiving such as help with bathing, dressing, eating and performing household tasks. Such...

This research explores federal mediators' perspectives on successful conflict resolution in contract disputes. The results indicate that mediator skill base and a collaborative orientation on the part of the disputants are positively related to the likelihood of reaching agreement, while...

Using participatory action research, this paper explains how the Service Employees International Union and community groups collaborated to organize home care workers in Oregon. The tactics used include policy borrowing and tinkering, a ballot initiative, coalition building, lobbying, and...