Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

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Introduction

The likelihood of strikes and lockouts is materially reduced by including the arbitration phase in grievance machinery. The parties enjoy continuing production and earnings while their differences are peacefully settled. But it has been observed that management is paying a price for labor peace in that arbitrators are diminishing the company's role in running the business. This charge is significant, especially when recalling that some 150,000 labor contracts exist in the United States. More than ninety-five percent of these contain a provision for arbitrating unresolved disputes.

A study was undertaken by the author, the hypothesis stating that arbitrators are enlarging the union's purview in the organization, specifically in regard to management's control over sujjervision. The data to test this was dravwi from Labor Arbitration Reports of the Bureau of National Affairs. The research included a content analysis of 324 cases, every award that was foimd in the source going back to 1942. The analysis consisted of the particular issue between the parties, their positions on it, the arbitrator's reasoning, and his award.