Professional associations and collective bargaining: Motivations and difficulties

This paper addresses two questions: what motivates a professional association to move toward collective bargaining, and what problems does a professional association face once it becomes a bargaining agent? Two case studies were conducted. The first involves the American Pharmaceutical Association, which recently amended its policy that discouraged unionization. The second concerns the American Nurses Association, which recently underwent restructuring with the disaffiliation. of several state branches and the creation of a new bargaining wing. The findings are that the protection of "professionalism" is a key reason an association moves toward bargaining, while the balancing of interests between bargaining and nonbargaining members, particularly if many of the latter are supervisors, managers, or executives is difficult and can lead to organizational schisms.