Labor Relations in Mental Health: A Look at What's Happening

Labor union activities and employee work actions are of considerable interest to mental health administrators these days, as evidenced by the large attendance and some heated exchanges at a session on labor-management relations held on the closing day of the 27th Institute on Hospital & Community Psychiatry last September. Jerry Wurf, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, spoke at that session, after which participants met in discussion groups to explore the issues in greater depth. At another session, Ernest A. Shepherd, MA., commissioner of mental health in Connecticut, described a work slowdown by state hospital psychiatrists there. H& CP Assistant Editor Barbara Armstrong sat in on the sessions and one of the discussion groups and also talked with hospital superintendents, state and federal officials, union leaders, physicians involved in work actions, lawyers, and others to find out what's happening nationally. Thefollowing is her report, based on extensive research and interviews with more than 25 people.