Declassification of professional social workers: A personnel issue facing the human services
The author discusses the issue of declassification of professional social work positions within public service agencies. The manner in which declassification is occurring, the reasons for it, and some strategies to block the trend are presented. An underlying theme of the paper is that the core issue in declassificalion of professional social work positions is the profession's inability to define clearly its domain of expertise. From a personnel standpoint this relates to issues of job analysis and evaluation and the inability of professionals to establish the fact that their contribution to a social service agency is unique, and by implication superior, to that offered by individuals possessing different qualifications and/or experience.
Declassification and divisiveness in human services.
The issue of declassification can be used to promote divisions between professional social workers and other human service workers. The author examines the experience of declassification and Benchmark in the Michigan Human Services Employment Unit. Collective bargaining is suggested as a means for both addressing social work education qualifications and career ladders for human service workers.
The Social Worker As Worker
This article describes the impact of unionization among social workers. Elements of professionalism-paternalism and elitism-that contribute to anti-union biases are analyzed. The reason for social worker's organizing and the resistance to union organizational efforts are outlined within that context. Bargaining rights, the scope of bargaining, and issues of client service are examined through the experience of social work strikes in New York City and Chicago. The contention is that social workers are workers and wage earners and are increasingly identifying their interests with collective bargaining and unions.