• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.43-75
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• 2007

This study reviews the trend of job separation rates for three years from 2002 to 2005 and investigates the various elements which influence this trend, especially the role of the labor unions, by using Korean Labor Panel data. In the basic statistics, the job retention rate of union members were higher by an average of 28.3% points compared to non-union members, but in the results of controlling the observed variables of individual influences in changing jobs, it was estimated that unions increase the job retention rate by 11% to 13% points. To investigate the effect of unions on the job stability of workers in detail, the non-linear decomposition method developed by Fairlie (2003) was used in the analysis. In examining the difference of job separation rates between union members and non-union members through observed variables of workers in explainable parts and unexplainable parts by using the non-linear decomposition technique, the contribution of the explainable part was estimated to be 67% to 74% and the unexplainable part accounted for the rest which was 26% to 33%. This suggests that not only does the union contribute to the job stability of its members, but the propensity to change jobs for a worker who is a union member is on average lower than that of a worker who is not a union member or who works at an establishment that does not have a union. The results of the empirical analysis show that the job stability effect of labor unions is limited within the boundary of a maximum 7% to 9% points. The reason for the effect of labor unions on job stability being so low is due to various reasons such as collective bargaining structure by company, intensified business competition after the financial crisis, and labor market segmentation.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.99-124
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• 2016

This study analyzed the effects of labor unions on the wages of Korean female workers using 'Korean Labor and Income Panel Study.' In the estimation we considered the self-selection bias due to the women's labor force participation decision and a plausible non-response bias from not answering the question about the company size in terms of number of employees. By fixed effect estimation we found that labor unions in Korea do not increase the wages of both the female union workers and non-union workers who work at a company in which a union is organized comparing to female workers who work at company without a union. This results indicates that female workers who work in the company with labor union tend to have unobserved characteristics that are positively correlated with both wages and the probability to enter the company with labor union. We also came to the conclusion that there is no free-rider effects of non-union workers.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.231-276
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• 2017

Chinese society faces increasing outbreaks of labor disputes, may of which are usually characterized as 'the highest level since the establishment of PRC'. Guangdong Province is the hottest place for increasing labor disputes as well as for flexible responses by the local government and labor agencies. Interest-pursuit bargaining model becomes one of the outstanding characteristics for recent labor disputes in Guangdong Province. Chinese central government promulgated well-managed policy package for labor dispute settlement in 2015. Guangdong Province government went one step further by introducing to institutionalize labor dispute settlement. To channel labor dispute conflicts into manageable direction, reliability and capacity of bottom level trade unions become much more essential for the authorities than before. Guangdong Confederation of Trade Unions leads some important experiments of trade union reforms. Employment of 'social cadres' of trade unions by local trade union organizations is the most outstanding experiment to satisfy increasing needs from bottom level ordinary workers who don't have efficient union organizations. It needs to be seen whether changing labor policies go beyond the limits of 'security priority principle'.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.20
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• pp.77-114
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• 2009

The actual conditions of the labor unions are primitive. First, there is no good records management regulation. At this research, I found it that most regulations of the labor unions were all the same. I think they have been copied a kind of one of originality. Second, the definition of records were very narrow, like documentary evidence. Third, the classification, filing, disposal regulations are the below level of the public institution in 1970s. Fourth, there are no standards of the records scheduling for the labor records. What kind of labor records have the historical values? I could not find, only the documentary evidence value. So, I think The actual conditions of the labor unions are primitive. I investigated the collections of the Southern Labor Archives in USA. There were many kind of records. For example, the records of regional labor unions also central labor unions, pamphlets, journals, photos, personal records, oral history, organizational records like protocols article of associations internal rules, minute books etc. Like this the collections of the Southern Labor Archives in USA are very various. But our actual conditions of the labor unions is far from that. Rather, we just have tried collected records for publishing the white papers. But this habitual practice would not be desirable. Because they must manage the records from the producing time. Mostly, 'laborer history HANNAE' were organised, and they are trying the collecting and management of the labor records. Also They are trying the computerizing, compilation. 'HANNAE' has the condition for the transformation of the labor archives. But if they want to be really, they must make the records management infra and so, should normalize the record management firstly. For example, They must be keep the standardized records management regulations, records scheduling redesigned. the developing standard model for the records management. And they have the vision for the hub of the labor archives. When coming to this, it will be realized the labor archives Now the records for the working class are disappearing. The managing the records for the labor is another labor movement. All together should join it. But I think the supporting of the archival science research colleagues will be the essential part.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.13
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• pp.185-222
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• 1990

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.131-161
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• 1999

This study is to analyze the reason of Breakdown of collective bargaining caused by the difference of main issue about bargaining and other factors influencing collective bargaining from the viewpoint of both labor and capital in Korean medical system. Korean medical system is facing the huge change of medical policy, so it should pursue institutional change following the change of medical system, On the contrary, the activity of labor union in medical system is more organized, activated, so understanding and cooperating on the related policy between labor and management are necessary. As the method of administration participation is collective bargaining, main issues between labor and management may lead Brwakdown of bargaining, so the author will analyze it from three viewpoints. First, the difference of recognition between labor and management due to the characteristics of hospital Secondly, the difference of recognition between labor unions due to the characteristics of hospital Thirdly, the difference of recognition between the characteristics of hospital and labor union.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.105-137
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• 2013

This paper proposes to examine the relationship between the two trade unions of Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) - those of the regular workers and of the in-house subcontract workers - around the issue of converting irregular workers to regular ones, which has been a social issue for a long time, and, furthermore, to find a desirable solution. The politics of the in-house subcontracting rotate around three axes: the conflictive collusion between the company and the regular workers'union regarding the internal labor market; the exclusion and resistance between the company and the subcontract workers'union; and the solidaristic conflict relationship between the two unions. After the final decree by the supreme court in 2012 the conflict and collusion/solidarity relationship of the three social actors have been amplified in scale - the continuous limping of the special bargaining between the company and the unions, the intensified conflict between the company and the subcontract workers'union, and the crisis of the collusion between the branches of the two unions are all evidence of this. A clue to the solution to the issues of in-house subcontracting in HMC can be found through reestablishment of the relationship among the three actors. In order to solve the in-house subcontracting issues in HMC, phased and lawful switching from irregular to regular positions, improvement of working conditions for the irregular workers, integration of the two unions (realization of 'one company one union'), and negotiated flexibility in the internal labor market will be required. Also to be considered are installation of a special committee for the issue, and utilization of external consultants. The result would be the possibility for the corporate labor market of HMC to be composed of regular workers, legal contract workers and directly-employed contract workers, which could be realized through bilateral relations of 'the labor and management conflict partnership'.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.56-83
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to provide basic materials needed to enhance quality of organizational life by identifying the improvements of labor union management in the perspective of general hospital organization management. The subject of this study were 686 employees in 12 General Hospitals in Metro Capital including Seoul. Materials were collected from administrators, nurses and medical technicians in target hospitals from March 20 to May 10, 2005 through survey questionnaires. The main results of this study were as follows: 1. the commitment level of the subjects according to their characteristics was higher in older employees than the younger ones, large family to support than small family to support and those who had higher positions in labor union. 2. The commitment level of the subjects according to the job and role related variables were higher those who had higher satisfaction level to their job and manager, role conflict in all hospitals. 3. The commitment level of the subjects according to union related variables, variables jointly controlled by union and employer was satistically significant positive correlation. In other words, the commitment level of the subjects according to the subjects' labor union involvement was higher in those who had higher satisfaction in labor union and perceived their colleagues' attitudes more positively in all hospitals. Regarding the atmosphere of the relationship between union and employer and the level of commitment in labor union, the better the atmosphere of the relationship between union and employer was, the higher the level of commitment in labor union was in all hospitals. 4. The results of multiple regression analysis shows that formal and informal socialization, union participation to the union management cooperation program, job satisfaction, satisfaction with the labor union's were all found as important antecedents of labor union commitment. 5. Job and role-related variables, union-related variables, variables jointly controlled by union and employer, and labor union commitment level were all found significantly different in accordance with the characteristics of unions concerned. To summarize study results, the level of commitment in labor union depends on job satisfaction, manager's attitudes, satisfaction to their jobs, union satisfaction, their colleagues attitudes toward union and the atmosphere of employer-employee relationship. Therefore hospital managers should have democratic and flexible attitudes toward labor union. Additionally, as formal and informal socialization, union participation to the union-management cooperation program is important determinant in union commitment, hospital managers should have countermeasures to enhance the colleague attitude and job satisfaction level of hospital employees. Since this study deals with psychological nature of workers not a few drawbacks and shortcomings may be detected in the finding. Nevertheless, the finding of this study, to become a momentum that will stimulate further research to detect all the cues of labor union commitment and to provide valuable reference in forming logical union commitment and labor union-management cooperation.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.95-136
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• 2018

As the number of precariats grows, their poor labor rights and working conditions are becoming issues of major concern all over the world but how to represent their interests is still controversial. Basically, the union is the institutional mechanism for representing the labor rights. However, it is difficult for workplaceand enterprise-based unions to fully represent the labor rights of precarious workers. Recently, so-called community unions have emerged in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan as independent organizations representing the rights of non-standard workers. Community unions refer to labor unions which organize precarious workers across firms at the regional level. They are known to be suitable for covering the unemployed, job seekers, indirect employment workers, short-term contract workers, and small-firm workers. In South Korea, since the financial crisis in 1997, a dramatic increase in the number of precariats leads to emergence of new types of trade unions such as the Youth Community Union, the Arbeit Workers' Union, the Artist Social Union and the Korea Musician's Union. They have engaged in various activities to guarantee the labor rights of precariats. Recently, researchers have also tried to identify defining characteristics of these new forms of unionism. To expand research on trade unionism in South Korea, this study compares two different types of community unions: the Youth Community Union and the Arbeit Workers' Union. We believe that this attempt can contribute to the research on the alternative labor movement. For this purpose, this study starts with theoretical discussions on community unions, and compares the Youth Community Union with the Arbeit Workers' Union based on the five characteristics of community unionism: membership and organization structure, the recognition struggle, the type or scope of interest, solidarity with other civic organizations, and the repertoire of resistance strategies. Based on this comparative analysis, this study seeks to foresee the possibility of how community unionism will develop in South Korean in the future.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.291-318
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• 1995