Mechanisms of voice-grievance, injury reporting, absence, turnover and adverse events and their association with collective bargaining: an analysis of Eastern Health employees, St. John's Region

• Main Author: Woodland, Karen
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 2010
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/9236/; https://research.library.mun.ca/9236/1/Woodland_Karen.pdf

Absence, grievance, injury reporting, voluntary turnover and adverse events are mechanisms of voice that may be used by dissatisfied employees to voice their discontent. Of interest is whether the use of such mechanisms of voice is more prevalent during volatile periods of collective bargaining. This research study examined the use of these mechanisms of voice during periods of collective bargaining, for three unions who represent employees of the Eastern Health organization, St. John’s region. Once approvals were reached, Eastern Health human resources data sets were obtained. Collective bargaining information was gathered from the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association, for each of the unions under study, and time frames were created representing the start and end dates for each collective bargaining event, unique to the collective bargaining cycles of each union. Counts of events were gathered utilizing these time frames. Descriptive analysis was performed to assess the rates of each mechanism of voice. Negative binomial aggression analysis was performed to identify whether a significant relationship between the outcomes of interest and collective bargaining, could be identified. Results of the analysis were mixed, with some clear indications of statistical significance identified, indicating that there are times when certain voice mechanisms are utilized during particular collective bargaining events.