Annual Surveys of Journalism and Mass Communication

Communication Entry-level Professionals' Attitudes toward Unions and Workplace Rights

Hugh J. Martin, Tudor Vlad, and Lee B. Becker

Abstract

Union membership among working journalists declined from 29% in 1971% to 17% in 1982-1983, and this percentage was unchanged in 1992.

Nationally, 13.5% of those in the labor force were members of unions in 1999.

Only 4.1% of the 2001 graduates of journalism and mass communication undergraduate programs who were in the labor force when surveyed were members of a union, The percentage was nearly the same in 1997 and 1998.

Among those journalism and mass communication bachelor's recipients with a full-time job, median annual salary in 2001 was $1,000 higher for those who were members of a union.

While 37.1% of the journalism and mass communication graduates approved of the labors unions, 53.8% reported they did not know if they approved or disapproved and only 9.1% disapproved. Nationally, union approval stood at 65% in August of 1999, with disapproval at 28%.

Among the measures of reactions to the job held, Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment were significantly and negatively related to Support for Unions.

The findings summarized in this report are projectable to the estimated 38,400 students who earned bachelor's degrees and the 3,240 students who earned master's degrees in academic year 2000-2001 from the 458 colleges and universities across the United States and Puerto Rico offering programs in journalism and mass communication.

Martin, H. J., Vlad, T., and Becker, L. B. (2002, November). Communication entry-level professionals' attitudes towards unions and workplace rights . Paper presented at the MAPOR Conference, Chicago, IL..