Building Long-Term Labor-Community Power

Abstract

This chapter explains that union workers have often fought to have a say over an employer's business practices and governance, attempting to negotiate over far more than wages and worksite conditions. It describes unions in Germany, South Africa, and countries throughout South America that have a role in governing a company's business practices in addition to negotiating a fair wage. Many unions in the United States have been attempting to overcome challenges through various forms of social movement unionism. The chapter reviews community organizations and unions in coalition with others that have fought for quality public schools, hospitals, mass transit, affordable housing, and the regulation of health and the environment to create a civil society. Unions who have largely followed the traditional models for bargaining move to broaden the scope of what is negotiated to include the community interests where workers' families live.