The Impact of Collective Bargaining on the Civil Service Merit System in Oregon

Abstract

This study examines the impact of collective bargaining on the civil service merit system in the State of Oregon. Four topics of current interest are explored. The first is a discussion of the status of collective bargaining and the civil service merit system legislation. The second topic is an analysis of the extent to which the day-to-day administration of public sector personnel functions is determined by the relative influence of collective bargaining agreements and civil service rules. The third is the impact of the collective bargaining model on the integrity of the merit principle. The final topic addressed by this study is the implication of the relationship between collective bargaining and civil service for the effective administration of public sector personnel systems in the future. This research utilized a multiple methods design. The data collection methodology involved two approaches. The first was a document review of state statutes, administrative rules, Employment Relations Board orders, and court decisions applicable to the civil service and collective bargaining. The second approach to data collection employed a written survey designed to solicit the opinion of personnel administrators and others in a position to have an opinion concerning the influence of collective bargaining within their respective jurisdictions. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were employed to interpret the data. Qualitative analysis of historical documents yielded descriptive information pertaining to such factors as the proliferation of collective bargaining legislation and the rationale behind such legislation. Quantitative survey data were summarized through the use of descriptive statistics. In addition, qualitative survey data were analyzed using techniques of narrative description and content analysis, which were applied to the open ended survey responses and interview data. A combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques were used in tandem with the expectation that such an approach would contribute to a more thorough investigation of the research question and lead to a better understanding of the impact which collective bargaining legislation may have had on the civil service merit system than would the use of either technique alone.