Essays on the Determinants of Labor Union Membership: Perspectives from Regulators, Employers, and Unions

Abstract

Inspired by the prominent role labor unions play in negotiating compensation for millions of employees, my dissertation consists of three essays that jointly examine the determinants of union membership from three different perspectives: regulators, employers, and unions. In the first essay, I focus on emerging pay transparency laws, and I find that requiring pay range disclosures on job postings motivates employees to join labor unions. In the second essay, I focus on growing pay disparity between executives and employees, and I find that employers with higher CEO pay ratios are more likely to experience union-forming activities. In the third and final essay, I focus on prevailing union corruption, and I find that union membership declines when members realize their dues are misused by union officers. Taken together, my dissertation informs regulators, employers, and unions of a key factor each stakeholder possesses to influence union membership.