AN OVERVIEW OF RECENT TRENDS IN PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNIONIZATION IS FOLLOWED BY A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE REASONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES BEHIND STREET-LEVEL BUREAUCRATS BECOMING UNION INSURGENTS AND THE KINDS OF RESPONSES THEIR MILITANCY EVOKES FROM MUNICIPAL PUBLIC SERVICE MANAGERS. TO ACCOUNT FOR WHY CITY WORKERS FAIL OR SUCCEED IN THEIR UNION INSURGENCY, WHY THEY ARE SOMETIMES QUIESCENT AND SOMETIMES MILITANT, AND WHY UNLIKELY MILITANTS ENGAGE IN STRIKES AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, FOUR CASE STUDIES TRACE POLICE EMPLOYEE EFFORTS TO ORGANIZE STRONG UNIONS IN NEW YORK CITY, DETROIT, MICH., AND ATLANTA, GA., DURING THE 1960'S AND 1970'S. THE TRANSFORMATION OF PATROLMEN'S BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK FROM A PRESSURE GROUP TO A DE FACTO UNION IS EXAMINED, ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DETROIT POLICE OFFICERS ORGANIZATION AND ATLANTA'S FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, AN AFFILIATE OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR (AFL). FINALLY, THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNIONS ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF POWER AND WEALTH IN THE AMERICAN POLITICAL ECONOMY ARE DISCUSSED, INCLUDING THE DIFFUSION OF MANAGEMENT'S CONTROL, INCREASED BUDGETARY COSTS, AND HEIGHTENED CONFLICT AMONG PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, ADMINISTRATORS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, CLIENTS, AND TAXPAYERS. REFERENCES ARE FOOTNOTED. AN INDEX IS PROVIDED. (KBL)