• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.409-441
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• 2018

This study is a case study about the Valero Energy Corporation, the largest American independent refinery company, examining the characteristics of human resource management as a union avoidance strategy. The main research questions here are whether union substitution strategy differs clearly from union suppression strategy in the context of Valero Energy. Since the establishment in 1980, the Valero had maintained non-union tradition. The typical examples of human resource management in the non-unionized American companies are easily found in the Valero, such as strong CEO leadership, manpower policy emphasizing corporate culture and teamwork, direct communication between company and individual employees, no lay-off policy and no outsourcing policy of HRM, salary level around average of industry and best level of fringe benefits in the industry, non-union tradition and well-functioned alternative dispute resolution system and so on. Until now, based on tremendous growth and profitability, the company have applied union substitution method adopted by good companies as concrete method of union avoidance strategy instead of union suppression method that marginal enterprise prefers.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.23-45
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• 2002

The main findings from the analysis of the micro-determinants of joining union are : Firstly, joining union is mainly determined by union reach (supply-side) rather than by union propensity (demand-side). Secondly, union existence is closely correlated with firm size. Thirdly, job satifaction is not statistically significant with joining union, though it is significant with non-union workers' propensity to join union. Finally, trade union movement is required to extend union reach and emphasize institutional and behavioral factors for increasing union density.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.1-28
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• 2011

This paper empirically tests the theory that labor demand elasticity of unionized firms would be smaller than that of nonunionized firms, using the Korean firms' panel data for 1990-2009. The major findings are the following: First, the estimates of labor demand elasticity of unionized firms are in the range of 0.34-0.49, less than a half of those of nonunionized firms, hence supporting the theory. Second, the unionized firms are more rigid in dynamic adjustment of employment than nonunionized firms. Finally, there are no significant differences between unionized and nonunionized firms in the elasticity of substitution.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.267-307
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• 2008

이 논문은 일본 임금교섭의 '높은 수준의 조율'과 '상당한 기업규모별 임금격차의 존재'라는 일견 서로 모순되는 두 현상을 종합적으로 이해하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 우선 일본에서의 기업규모별 임금격차의 상황을 보았다. 여기서 상당한 정도의 임금격차가 있다는 것을 재확인했다. 그렇지만 일본의 임금격차의 양상은 보다 복합적이어서 소정내 임금을 기준으로 할 때 초임에서는 기업규모별 임금격차가 거의 없었다. 또한 1970년대 이후 1990년대까지 기업규모별 임금격차가 거의 확대되지 않았으며, 한국과 비교할 때 기업규모별 임금격차는 작았다. 이렇게 된 한 가지 이유는 임금교섭인 춘투가 긴밀하게 조율됨으로써 초임이 통일되었고 기업간 평균임금의 격차를 일정 범위 내로 제한할 수 있었기 때문이다. 그리고 기업별 교섭이 긴밀하게 조율될 수 있었던 데에는 일단 '통일투쟁'을 주도한 노조의 전략이 중요한 요인이었다. 통일투쟁의 선두에 선 대기업 노조들은 기업 내에서의 임금극대화보다는 사회적 임금결정 기준을 형성하는 데에 노력했다. 이와 함께 노조에 맞서 강한 단결을 유지하고 긴밀한 협의체제를 만들어간 사용자의 대응 역시 결정적 요인이었다. 그럼에도 상당 폭으로 존재하는 임금격차 역시 임금교섭의 양상과 연관되어 있다. 기업별 교섭이 긴밀히 조율되긴 하나 조율에 한계가 있어서 임금격차를 어느 한도 이상 줄이지 못하는 것이다. 조율의 한계로는 첫째 노조 연대임금 정책의 부재, 둘째 기업별 교섭으로 인한 전국적 조율의 한계, 셋째 연공적 임금체계 하에서 기업횡단적 임금결정 기준이 부재한 것 등을 들 수 있다.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.137-150
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• 2016

Labor-management relations are essential to corporation to secure competitiveness and a continuous development. However it is difficult to establish labor-management relations. This study focuses on the effect of cooperative industrial relations in trust and commitment of organization and labor union through 300people of 12 companies who belong to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. As a result of the study, cooperative industrial relations have a positive effect on the trust in organization and labor-management. Furthermore, the trusts of both organization and labor-management relations have a positive effect toward its commitment. This research result is an important factor to change a strategy of the labor union which cannot break out original roles. The cooperative industrial relations are also necessary for organization.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.67-92
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• 2015

This paper empirically analyses the effect of labor union on firm's profit rate in Korea. For this purpose a panel data set has been constructed for the period of 1990-2009 using "TS2000", and the data set has been subdivided into two: one is the 'non-variant group' in which firm's union status has not changed, and the other is 'variant group' in which firm's union status has changed from non-union to union during the sample period. It has been found that for 'non-variant group' there is no significant union effect on profit rate. However, for 'variant group' the presence of union has been found to decrease firm' profit rate in terms of return on equity.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.231-265
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• 2008

우리나라의 산업별 교섭은 그동안 과거 기업별 교섭의 유산인 기업별 격차 때문에 많은 어려움을 겪어 왔다. 이 글은 이 문제를 해결하기 위한 유효한 수단으로 산업별 임금체계를 금속노조의 사례를 중심으로 설계하여 제안하고자 한다. 이 글의 논의는 세 부분으로 이루어져 있다. 첫째는 이론적인 부분으로 산업별 임금체계가 중층적인 산업별 교섭구조에 대응하여 연대와 차이의 원리를 반영하면서 동시에 세 가지 계급적 이해범주도 함께 반영해야 한다고 정리하고 이들 요구를 수용하기 위해서 생계비(생애), 직무, 능률, 숙련의 요소들이 임금체계의 항목으로 구성될 필요가 있다고 제시하였다. 둘째는 산업별 임금체계의 설계 시안을 제시하였는데 여기에는 최근의 국내외 임금체계 논의 동향과 관련된 현실적 함의가 함께 고려되었다. 즉 연공급의 문제점을 극복하고 유연적 경영환경에 대응하여 유연적 능률적 요소를 수용할 수 있도록 임금체계를 설계하였다. 셋째는 현재의 임금구조로부터 이 글에서 설계된 산업별 임금체계로 어떻게 이행할 것인지에 대한 전술적인 고민을 금속노조의 사례를 중심으로 논의하였다. 그리하여 현재 금속노조의 실태로부터 먼저 임금체계 자체의 논의가 초기업적 교섭의제로 제기될 수 있는 조건이라는 점과 그런 논의의 출발점이 기본급을 중심으로 이루어지는 것이 바람직하며 일차적인 전술적 목표가 연대의 원리가 적용되는 임금항목들에 있다는 점을 정리하였다.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.31-53
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• 2007

This paper, using the sample of male workers in manufacturing industry from the HCCP (Human Capital Corporate Panel) data, analyzes the effects of trade union on the level and dispersion of wages. One of the advantages of the HCCP data is that it enables a researcher to control the effect of individual firm's 'ability to pay' on wage. All relevant variables controlled, the union effect is estimated to be 5-8%. Yet this figure seriously underestimates the wage advantage enjoyed by union workers, because union sets the "price" for experience low and the price for tenure high and at the same time extends tenure of workers by adopting strong employment protection policy. The paper also analyzes the effects of union on the wage inequality. The results are mixed: overall wage inequality is smaller in union sector while standard deviation is larger when all the personal characteristics are controlled.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.117-143
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• 2006

This paper illuminates the patterns of growth and declines in sizes of union membership in metal, chemical, financial, and auto transport sectors in three distinct periods during the last four decades from 1963 to 2003. This paper also calculates union densities in auto assembly, auto supply, and shipbuilding industries of the metal sector, cement, petroleum refining, and pharmaceutical industries of the chemical sector, private banking industry of the financial sector, and city bus industry of the auto transport sector. Such diversities in both sizes of union membership and union densities among sectors and industries turned out to be associated with attitudes and choices of employers and unions in interaction with sector- and industry-specific economic (growth stage and path), institutional (degrees of government intervention), and social (demographic features of employees and prevailing sizes of firms) environment. Such finding shows that theoretical reasonings on sizes of union membership and union densities across sectors and industries in advanced nations are also relevantly useful to analyze the Korean case.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.69-78
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• 2015

Labor and management relation rises as a key task to solve in order to ensure corporate's sustainable competitiveness in a convergence global environment. The aim of this study is to examine the mediation effect of labor union participation behavior in the effect of convergence-type labor-management conflict on the turnover intention. Data was collected from 491 employees who were employed in medium and small enterprises in Daejeon, Chungcheongnam-do and Chungcheongbuk-do. The results are as follows. Firstly, labor-management conflict had positive (+) effect on labor union participation behavior. Secondly, labor union participation behavior had negative (-) effect on turnover intention. Thirdly, labor union participation behavior had mediating role in the relation between labor-management conflict and turnover intention. Therefore, it is necessary to respond profit and desire of the labor union members by union leaders and to enhance necessity and value of the labor union continually.