The differences in outcomes between unionised and non-union workplaces are not
to be taken as results which unions have produced on their own. It is usually employers
who have the overriding power. Employers in pursuing their own agenda will presumably
take some account of employees’ reactions, and will seek to make them acceptable
and even attractive to employees, as can readily be observed in the ‘hyping’ of various
HR practices. Again, benefit provisions for employees presumably have some advantages
for employers, such as enhanced retention. More generally, the union presence
should not be thought of as acting separately from employers and management (see the introductory discussion). Unions seek to influence management decisions and
policies but it is employers who actually make those decisions and policies