ABSTRACT
Changeisendemictomarket-basedeconomiesandconsequentlytotheemploymentrelationshipsembeddedinthem.Hence,itisyesterday'snewsthatthe termsandconditionsunderwhichpeopleworkintheUnitedStatesarechanging. Historically,thepaceofthischangehasvaried.Buttherestructuringofcapital assetseventuallyaffectstherelationsbetweenemployeesandemployers.The changescurrentlyunderwayinNorthAmericasignalfundamentalshiftsinthese relationships.Descriptionsofthesechangesdiffer,muchastheblindmendescribedtheelephant.Someclaimthechangesincludeshiftsfromadversarialto morecooperativeunion-managementrelations,frombureaucraticallyburdened employeesworkingforhierarchical,control-orientedemployerstoempowered employeeswithgreaterroleflexibilityworkingformoreegalitarianemployers; fromearningsbasedontimeandjobtoearningsbasedonprofits,gainsharing, andsoon.Othersdescribethechangedifferently.Theyseenotcooperationbut cooptationandunionavoidance,increasedrisksharingandcostshiftingtoemployeesratherthansuccesssharing,anddiminishedemploymentsecurityrather thanempowerment.Whichviewofthenew,emergingemploymentrelationship isaccurate?Experiencesuggeststhatbothare--cooperation,empowerment, flexibility,andsuccesssharingareemerginghandinglovewithdecliningunion membership,riskandcostshiftingtoemployees,anddiminishingemployment security.
