Building Cross-Border Trade Union Solidarity in the Americas: Putting Organizational Identities at Stake

Abstract

Purpose:This article considers an in-depth intra-case analysis of a North-South alliance that came into being in the Americas, where the absence of any state power regulating such initiatives makes their emergence more complex. Methodological design:To substantiate this case, some 77 semi-structured field interviews were conducted between 2004 and 2018 with 60 key union representatives in the mining industry. Results: Theyconfirm that a key to the success of transnational alliances lies in the actors’ ability to developa community of risks and fate built around a strong sense of belonging to the group, in opposition to opponents and in the name of clearly defined project and scale. They also confirm that three main levels ofcontingencies have shaped the alliance's evolution. Research limitations: Even though our findings cannot be generalized, wider lessons can be learned from this contribution. Findings:They dissolve the analytical relevance of the North-South cleavage which appears to be overused conceptually. The plasticity of the union responses in terms of transnational solidarity are also strongly rooted in space, time and the contingencies of the moment. Such findings open up an almost limitless field of possibilities for future research and validation in both the North and South.