Psychology and labor unions working together.

Abstract

The relationship between organized psychology and labor takes on renewed interest in the context of marketplace changes leading some health care providers to unionize. Although they were once distant, organized psychology and labor have moved closer together in recent years in collaborations around mutual interests. Labor unions have been able to offer psychology effective models of grass roots organization, some ability to engage in collective bargaining, and legislative and legal advocacy to curb marketplace abuses and to protect scope of practice. Psychologists have been able to offer labor unions clinical and consulting services to help union members deal with workplace stressors and injuries, pro bono services for striking or furloughed workers, and innovative programs to promote workplace safety. Increased collaboration between psychology and labor helps the American workforce, including psychologists.The American workforce has been undergoing fundamental changes in recent years as corporate downsizing has threatened the job security of millions of white-collar professional workers. Whereas previous generations of blue-collar workers could turn to labor unions for help and protection in times of economic dislocation, many contemporary workers have no such resource. Psychologists are no exception. Like other health care providers, psychologists have been buffeted by the transformation of the health care delivery system into a system of managed care. However, as a white-collar profession traditionally more allied with management than with labor, psychologists have generally not considered collective bargaining as an option for themselves in dealing with managed care organizations (MCOs).

Should psychologists unionize? A colloquy with labor and management experts.

“…Health care providers have begun to use the leverage of forming large group practices as a means of acquiring more bargaining power with large managed care organizations. However, only a minority of health care professionals have explored another possible alternative that could potentially benefit them: forming labor unions to deal with corporate management (Sullivan, LaGana, Wiggins, & DeLeon, 1997).…”