Jw. Budd et Bp. Mccall, THE EFFECT OF UNIONS ON THE RECEIPT OF UNEMPLOYMENT-INSURANCE BENEFITS, Industrial & labor relations review, 50(3), 1997, pp. 478-492
Using National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data for 1979-91, the auth
ors analyze the effect of union representation on the likelihood that
individuals eligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits actually
received those benefits. They find that unions had no statistically s
ignificant effect on the probability of benefit receipt among white-co
llar workers, but among eligible blue-collar workers, those who were l
aid off from union jobs were roughly 23% more likely than comparable n
onunion workers to receive UI benefits. Although the analysis does not
identify the reasons for this difference, two factors it appears to r
ule out as determinants are union-negotiated supplemental unemployment
benefit plans and differences between union and nonunion workers in e
xpected unemployment duration.