Essays on Management Opposition and Unionization

This dissertation explores the dynamics of management opposition to unions and the factors influencing employees’ willingness to unionize. It comprises three essays that investigate these issues through experiments and quasi-experimental methods in Germany and the United States.

Essay 1 examines hiring discrimination against union supporters in Germany using correspondence experiments with fictitious job applications. It finds significant discrimination, particularly in large firms without collective agreements and in sectors with high union presence or intense strike activity. The findings suggest that union threat effects drive such discrimination, which in turn affects wages and working conditions.

Essay 2 evaluates the impact of labor market conditions on union activity in the United States using survey and quasi-experimental methods. It reveals that while tight labor markets moderately increase employees’ willingness to unionize and search for new jobs, this does not lead to significant changes in broader union activities. Improved labor market conditions encourage job switches more than union activity.

Essay 3 analyzes hiring discrimination during the economic downturn due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Using a similar experimens as Essay 1, it shows that discrimination is pro-cyclical, intensifying in economic upturns and decreasing in downturns. This behavior is concentrated to firms’ perceived union threat, particularly in non-unionized sectors.

The findings together highlight how labor market conditions and management opposition shape unionization efforts. They underscore that while labor market tightness influences union-related behaviors, management opposition remains a critical barrier. Implications point to strengthening labor reforms and collective bargaining to counteract rising wage inequality and reinforce union influence.

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