The prospects for multifacility bargaining units in the health-care industry

The 1974 amendments of the National Labor Relations Act expanded regulation of the health-care industry. Subsequently, as health-care providers have diversified their institutions, the scope of employees' bargaining units has become a confusing issue in labor relations. In the following article, the author reviews relevant post-1974 cases and examines apparently conflicting presumptions about the appropriateness of single- and multifacility bargaining units. The author predicts that, in view of the new "disparity-in-interests" standard for determining units, the future interplay of policies, presumptions, and the new standard will favor multifacility bargaining units--if labor and management appreciate their respective opportunities.