Part-time jobs: Exploitation or choice?

UPS strike sets off debate over hiring practices

From Correspondent Christine Negroni

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The Teamsters Union believes the use of part-time instead of full-time workers is an issue worth striking over in its ongoing dispute with United Parcel Service.

And while the strike is technically over the employment practices of one company, it is generating debate over the hiring practices of companies across the nation.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, who says one in four U.S. jobs are now part-time or temporary, terms this shift in the workforce an "ugly trend." But for many businesses, it is a way to cut costs and increase flexibility.

These companies save money by eliminating the cost of employee benefits, and they can also reduce wage costs during slack times. This is particularly important for businesses with predictable slow seasons, such as retailing and travel.

But of the 23 million Americans with part-time jobs, fewer than one in five have employer-sponsored health insurance, something full-time workers have come to expect. Other benefits such as sick leave, vacation pay and investment plans are also often unavailable.

"You lose a lot," says labor economist Greg Tarpinian. "You lose wages, you lose benefits. You have a whole section of the economy where workers are not secure."

And yet, an estimated 80 percent of American workers who work in part-time positions do so by choice.

Janis McCarthy, a nurse, is among them. She ditched a full-time job at an HMO for part-time jobs that give her more time for herself.

"I go, I do my job and I leave," she says. "And I feel like that's what I'm really there for, and I don't have to get involved in the dynamics of an office."

McCarthy is not alone among professionals. The Association of Part-Time Professionals estimates there are 4.7 million part-time employees in professions such as engineering, law and accounting.

"People are doing what they want. A lot of the companies that are using these people are doing what they can do profitably," says labor economist Ken Goldstein.

But part-time work is clearly not for everybody. The Teamsters were willing to strike over it, although UPS does offer benefits to its part-timers.

Software engineer Jon Waite, unhappy over not being a full-time employee, sued over his status as a free-lancer.

Explained Waite, "To me, it was a real morale breaker."

• Message board: UPS strike

Related stories:

• UPS strike: Consumers in limbo - August 6, 1997
• Teamsters boss urges new talks with UPS - August 5, 1997
• Tempers flare on UPS picket lines - August 5, 1997
• UPS strike enters second day with no talks set - August 5, 1997
• Teamsters, UPS hold firm as strike begins - August 4, 1997
• Teamsters end talks; UPS strike appears imminent - August 3, 1997
• With no progress in talks, UPS customers brace for strike - July 31, 1997

Related sites:

• UPS Home Page
  • Labor News Update
• Teamsters Union Home Page
• United States Postal Service Web Site
• U.S. Department of Labor

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