362 Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofi t Organizations
government and advocate for the enactment of civil service laws. Merit
systems existed in only eleven states. Civil service was viewed as a means to
end political kickbacks and protect members who might be fi red because
of political behavior.
Today it is common to fi nd both unions and civil service systems in
public organizations. However, many statutes have management rights
clauses that limit the scope of mandatory topics of bargaining. Some stat-
utes state that in confl icts, civil service regulations take precedence over
contract terms.
To regain their infl uence, the unions have refocused their energies
on issues of the new and diverse workforce. The numbers of females and
minority members in the public workforce have increased. Issues such as
pay equity, comparable worth for equitable job classifi cations, health and
safety protection, training and retraining, quality - of - work life, job enlarge-
ment, and broader job classifi cations in many contracts have replaced the
previous emphasis on wages, seniority, and work rules.Nonprofi t Sector Distinctions
Unions and nonprofi t organizations are not typically linked together in
most people ’ s thoughts. That may be because many nonprofi ts are small
and do not meet the NLRB ’ s jurisdictional standards. Another reason may
be that nonprofi t agencies often respond to new societal needs and thus
become desirable places to work even if salaries are lower and working
conditions are less comfortable than in more established institutions.
Rape crisis and domestic violence centers, agencies that provide support
and respite services to parents of special needs children, hospices for the
terminally ill, and homes for people with AIDS are some of the services
provided by voluntary agencies. Other nonprofi t organizations that often
pay their employees lower salaries include cultural, social, and educa-
tional institutions, day care centers, social welfare agencies, and health
care facilities.
The research on unionization and nonprofi ts has tended to focus on
social workers and health care professionals. The dismantling of human
service programs under President Reagan in the 1980s resulted in less
job security and a decline in real wages. During this time, there were
also changes in working conditions. There has been increasing pressure
toward greater productivity and a decreasing infl uence in policymaking
that has led to declines in professional autonomy (Benton, 1993; Hush,