Factors influencing medical school faculty disposition toward collective bargaining

Faculty attitudes toward collective bargaining at a prestigious public medical school indicate considerable ambivalence toward unionization. As might be expected, salary dissatisfaction is the greatest cause of faculty discontent; however, it is not the most important factor in favoring collective strength. The irony is that the faculty members most in favor of collective bargaining are least dissatisfied with their salary levels. Conversely, the highest earning faculty members are least in favor of unionization but most dissatisfied with their salary scale. The study reported here shows that faculties perceive the protection or enhancement of collegiality as the single most important factor influencing their attitudes toward unionization. This perception suggests that faculties see collective bargaining as a means of strengthening their position relative to greater inclusion in the decision-making processes of the medical school.