Immigrant Workers and Australian Trade Unions: Participation and Attitudes

Abstract

Most studies of unionized, immigrant workers have argued mat such workers have lower levels of participation in and hold different attitudes toward their unions than do nonimmigrant union members. Drawing on a questionnaire survey of members of six Australian trade unions, this article questions this consensus. We argue mat country of origin – in particular whether the union member was born in a non-English-speaking or an English-speaking country – does not, of itself, lead to different levels of union participation or different union attitudes. A closely related variable, the level of English language ability, does influence some elements of particpation and attitudes.