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15 Pol'y Stud. J. 3 (1986-1987)

handle is hein.journals/plyssjnl15 and id is 1 raw text is: Policy Studies Journal, Vol 15, No 1. September, 1986 ARTICLES OF GENERAL INTEREST FEMALE AND MINORITY EMPLOYMENT IN CITY GOVERNMENT: THE ROLE OF UNIONS Norma M. Riccucci INTRODUCTION Since passage of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act in 1972, government employers as well as public employee unions have been required to strive for equal employment opportunity (EEO) in the public sector While much atten- tion has focused on government's progress toward EEO, little attention has been given to unions' pursuit of EEO The aim of this study is to explain the relationship between unions and EEO1 in city government work forces If unions can be relied upon to enhance the employment oppor- tunities available to women and minorities, we may observe progressive equal employment opportunity records in public sector work forces where unions exist Based on a sample of 74 cities, simple correlations and multiple regressions were run to examine this issue for 1976 and 1981 UNIONS' DESIRE TO INFLUENCE EEO There is a dearth of research concentrating on the role of unions in EEO, and these few studies overwhelm- ingly focus on the private sector work force (U S Commis- sion on Civil Rights, 1976, 1982, Leigh, 1979) The studies generally emphasize unions' long history of discrimination against women and minorities to better serve their white male constituencies This legacy of discrimination, however, cannot necessarily be ascribed to all public sector unions Although there is limited evidence indicating that craft unions in the public sector (i e, police and firefighting)2 have been success- ful in keeping women and minorities out of police and