The Effects of Labor Unions on Workplace Performance: New Evidence from France

International audienceHow do unionization and collective bargaining affect firm profitability? Inthis paper, we revisit this question using a nationally representative sample of Frenchestablishments. In addition to examining union/non-union differences in profitability,we explore the possible sources from which unions capture profits. The resultsindicate that unionization in France is associated with poorer financial performancein the workplace. The results also indicate that concentration-related profits do notprovide an important source of union rents in France. Finally, this study providesstrong support for the hypothesis of union appropriation of the returns from long-lived physical capital