Paying Dues: Police Unionism in a "Right-to-Work" Environment

A study was conducted to examine differences in policemen who become union members and those who do not. Data were collected through interviews and questionnaires in a police department of a southeastern city. Approximately 96% of the organization's employees completed the survey. Results indicated that 52% of those in the unit paid union dues. Men were found to be more likely to pay dues than women. Union members were also more likely to be married. The largest ratio of union members to eligible members was in the detective bureau. Detectives also held the 2 highest elected offices in the union and were not hesitant to discuss union issues with their coworkers. For sworn officers, the trust dynamics appeared to be more important than tenure in motivating union dues payments. The most powerful discriminator was organizational tenure, however. The longer an employee had served, the more likely he was to pay dues.