title: How much would US union membership increase under a policy of non-exclusive representation?

authors: Harcourt, Mark

subjects: industrial relations

abstract: Purpose – In light of the low-union density and a huge representation gap in the US representation system. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the system under majority rule and to provide some empirical evidence on how much union membership would increase in the USA if a policy of non-exclusive representation, as adopted in New Zealand, are to be implemented. 

Design/methodology/approach – The sample for the study consists of 227 New Zealand organizations, employing over 180,000 workers. Logistic regression is used for the analysis with the dichotomous dependent variable indicating whether there is majority union support. 

Findings – If the USA allowed and supported minority unionism, union membership could increase by 30 percent or more. Workers in smaller, private-sector organizations outside healthcare, education, and manufacturing are most disadvantaged by the majority-rule system. 

Practical implications – Given that many workers' needs for representation have not been addressed by the current US majority rule system, consideration of minority representation to enhance representation effectiveness and understanding its implications are of critical importance, especially for a democratic society. 

Originality/value – The paper offers empirical data on the implications of a change of the US representation system and proposes three options for incorporating minority representation.

text: How much would US union membership increase under a policy of non-exclusive representation? Purpose – In light of the low-union density and a huge representation gap in the US representation system. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the system under majority rule and to provide some empirical evidence on how much union membership would increase in the USA if a policy of non-exclusive representation, as adopted in New Zealand, are to be implemented. 

Design/methodology/approach – The sample for the study consists of 227 New Zealand organizations, employing over 180,000 workers. Logistic regression is used for the analysis with the dichotomous dependent variable indicating whether there is majority union support. 

Findings – If the USA allowed and supported minority unionism, union membership could increase by 30 percent or more. Workers in smaller, private-sector organizations outside healthcare, education, and manufacturing are most disadvantaged by the majority-rule system. 

Practical implications – Given that many workers' needs for representation have not been addressed by the current US majority rule system, consideration of minority representation to enhance representation effectiveness and understanding its implications are of critical importance, especially for a democratic society. 

Originality/value – The paper offers empirical data on the implications of a change of the US representation system and proposes three options for incorporating minority representation.

year: 2010

title: Feeling at home? Former Bhutanese refugee women and girls in New Zealand

authors: Basnet, Sunita

abstract: This article explores the meaning of home and homemaking practices for former Bhutanese refugees, especially women and girls living in Auckland, Christchurch, Nelson, and Palmerston North in New Zealand under the refugees’ quota programme. I examine how and in what ways these women and girls experience New Zealand as ‘home’ and explore their feelings of (not) belonging. The fieldwork is part of my PhD research and was conducted between February and September 2015. A total of 42 in-depth semi-structured interviews with former Bhutanese refugees were conducted. These were mainly with women and girls, but eight men were also interviewed. In addition to individual interviews, I used a focus group interview with four girls aged between 12-15 who sketched images of their actual or imagine home. The findings are that just providing a ‘house’ to refugees does not necessarily mean that they feel at home in New Zealand. Many participants reported that family is their home. Another finding is that strong neighborhood ties contributed to feeling at home (or not). Participants also discussed what it means to be a citizen in New Zealand. Finally, I argue that researching former refugees’ home and homemaking everyday practices is useful for understanding resettlement processes and senses of belonging in New Zealand.

text: Feeling at home? Former Bhutanese refugee women and girls in New Zealand This article explores the meaning of home and homemaking practices for former Bhutanese refugees, especially women and girls living in Auckland, Christchurch, Nelson, and Palmerston North in New Zealand under the refugees’ quota programme. I examine how and in what ways these women and girls experience New Zealand as ‘home’ and explore their feelings of (not) belonging. The fieldwork is part of my PhD research and was conducted between February and September 2015. A total of 42 in-depth semi-structured interviews with former Bhutanese refugees were conducted. These were mainly with women and girls, but eight men were also interviewed. In addition to individual interviews, I used a focus group interview with four girls aged between 12-15 who sketched images of their actual or imagine home. The findings are that just providing a ‘house’ to refugees does not necessarily mean that they feel at home in New Zealand. Many participants reported that family is their home. Another finding is that strong neighborhood ties contributed to feeling at home (or not). Participants also discussed what it means to be a citizen in New Zealand. Finally, I argue that researching former refugees’ home and homemaking everyday practices is useful for understanding resettlement processes and senses of belonging in New Zealand.

year: 2016

title: Challenges to legal education: The Waikato Law School experience

authors: Wilson, Margaret

subjects: legal education

abstract: The experiences of the Waikato Law School especially from the viewpoint of challenges to legal education are discussed. The impact of the performance-based model of funding on the delivery of legal education at the Waikato Law School is highlighted.

text: Challenges to legal education: The Waikato Law School experience The experiences of the Waikato Law School especially from the viewpoint of challenges to legal education are discussed. The impact of the performance-based model of funding on the delivery of legal education at the Waikato Law School is highlighted.

year: 2010