Union Participation Research Articles

The preschool teachers’ union in Iceland: a critical analysis of influence and challenges

ABSTRACT This article critically analyses the dynamic role of the Preschool Teachers’ Union in Iceland, tracing its strategic moves within the educational and political spheres from inception to the present. The union’s formative years were marked by a fight to become a fully fledged union and active participation in foundational negotiations that significantly shaped the working conditions and structural policies of preschool education in Iceland. These efforts ultimately enhanced preschool educators’ professional status and working conditions. The union effectively influences wage negotiations, working conditions and policy reforms by leveraging data-driven approaches. The union has also navigated challenges amid neoliberal educational shifts, ensuring teacher representation in public discourses and policymaking with considerable improvements. However, the gains made by the Preschool Teachers’ Union had costs, in terms of professional autonomy and integrity. The article also addresses current challenges, highlighting the union’s adaptability and ongoing advocacy efforts. The data consist of historical documents and interviews with the present union president.

Barriers to Trade Union Participation among Indonesian foreign Workers in Malaysia

Barriers to Trade Union Participation among Indonesian foreign Workers in Malaysia

Why are union members more willing to strike and protest than nonunion members? Evidence from Argentina and Chile

Empirical studies have shown that union members are more likely to participate in collective actions than nonunion members. However, we still know little about the mechanisms that explain why this occurs. In this article, we aim to fill this gap in the literature. Using data from the World Values Survey for Argentina and Chile (2006–2018), we employed the Karlson–Holm–Breen mediation analysis to analyze the degree to which the relationship between union membership and participation in demonstrations and strikes is explained by union members’ higher levels of politicization and stronger left-wing orientation, as hypothesized in previous studies. We found that in the two countries these two mediators explain more than 30% of the relationship between union membership and participation in demonstrations. We also found that these two mediators explain around 20% of the relationship between union membership and strike participation in Argentina, and nearly 40% of such relationship in Chile. At the end of the article, we offer some explanations for these findings and show how they contribute to the literature on trade unions, class politics, and industrial relations.

Barriers to Trade Union Participation among Rural Migrant Workers in China: An Analysis of Labor Disputes, Employment Characteristics, and Socio-Demographic Factors

This study aims to understand the potential for migrant workers to join trade unions by analyzing labor disputes, employment characteristics, and socio-demographic factors. Utilizing data from a survey of 823 migrant workers conducted in Shanghai and nine other cities in China, this research examines both the associational (organizational membership) and behavioral (activity participation) aspects of trade union participation. The results indicate that rural migrant workers exhibit a low level of union participation, contrary to expectations based on their labor market position and the recruitment efforts by Chinese unions. Three primary barriers to union participation were identified: (1) migrant workers in state-owned firms are significantly more likely to participate in unions compared to those in private firms, where union presence is weaker; (2) occupational and employment status discrimination within workplaces hinders rural migrant workers from joining unions; and (3) trust in trade unions is relatively low among Chinese migrant workers, likely due to the close relationship between unions and the government, which may undermine union legitimacy and impede worker engagement. These findings highlight the systemic challenges that rural migrant workers face in engaging with trade unions in China.

Trabajadoras domésticas remuneradas del Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires: experiencias de organización y reconocimiento mediadas por plataformas sociodigitales

The domestic service sector in Argentina is significant for many women workers. It is a highly feminized sector, closely tied to caregiving, and extremely diverse due to the variety of tasks, work modalities, and hours involved. Performed behind “closed doors”, this profession inherently faces challenges in unionization and collective organization. This article analyzes the experiences of organization and collective participation sustained through digital mediation by paid domestic workers. The study ethnographically examines two organizations in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires mediated by digital technologies: a small traditional union holding online assemblies via Facebook and a non-unionized workers’ WhatsApp group. The common thread is that engagement and participation were made possible through the use of socio-digital platforms. Several questions are explored through participant observation in these spaces: How do workers experience participation in collective spaces mediated by digital technologies? What are the scope and limitations of using these platforms in their daily lives and union participation? What other forms of political-union participation exist in virtual interstices? The creation of political-union networks has great potential as they can alter workers’ material conditions and defend their labor rights. They can also serve as spaces for recognition and self-valuation that transform how workers perceive themselves and their fellow workers as a collective.

The relational love in the dialogue between Lutheran theology and Chinese traditional religions

AbstractThe concept of love occupies a central position not only in the Lutheran–Augustinian theology of justification and sanctification, but also in some traditional Chinese religions such as Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. For the Finnish interpretation of Luther's theology, a range of pivotal concepts such as two kinds of love, union (participation), gift, favor, unifying power, as well as the real‐ontic presence in faith act a fundamental role in addressing the doctrine of justification and divinization. As a new research approach, the formulation of unio cum Christo in Spiritu sancto develops Tuomo Mannermaa's interpretation of in ipsa fide Christus adest thus opening a new dialogue with the relational creativity of love in Chinese Tao‐Qi framework. While the ontological presuppositions of these two religious traditions are different, the relational love can be explored as a new conceptual model for deepening the theoretical communications between Lutheran theology and Chinese faith traditions.

Investigation of social change in cities after participation in cittaslow union in Ordu-Perşembe district

This study presents a case study of the social changes brought about by participation in the Cittaslow Union in cities. The research focuses on the Perşembe district of Ordu province and aims to analyze the effects of Cittaslow on the social structure. Data collection involved the use of 100 valid surveys. The results indicate that significant social changes occurred in the Perşembe district following its participation in the Cittaslow Union. Surveys and observations show an increase in tourism activities. This is due to heightened public awareness, which has been brought about by increased official institutional efforts to inform about Cittaslow. Furthermore, the Cittaslow Union's participation in Perşembe district has resulted in the wider availability of locally sourced food, increased promotion of cycling, and a reduction in vehicle noise pollution. Furthermore, the Cittaslow Union's participation in Perşembe district has resulted in the wider availability of locally sourced food, increased promotion of cycling, and a reduction in vehicle noise pollution. These changes have had a positive impact on the district's quality of life and social structure. The community has adopted a more sustainable and participatory lifestyle because of the Union's involvement. It can be inferred that the city has benefited from the approach. The identified changes demonstrate that participation in the Cittaslow Union in the Perşembe district has positive effects on the adoption of a sustainable and participatory lifestyle within the community. This study on the effects of the Cittaslow Union in the Perşembe district can be considered an important step in promoting sustainability and social participation in cities.

Convergence of shadow economy across U.S. states

ABSTRACT Using a novel shadow economy measure constructed from a two-sector dynamic deterministic general equilibrium model, this paper provides the first piece of evidence on the convergence dynamics of the shadow economy at the U.S. state level over the period 1999–2019. The result of the panel club convergence test demonstrates the absence of absolute convergence but also identifies the presence of six club memberships without an apparent regional conglomeration. Further analysis based on the ordered logit regression uncovers that factors such as gross state product, the share of higher education, government size, the share of union participation, capital tax rate, institutional quality, and unemployment rate significantly influence the club membership of the shadow economy. Understanding these findings is imperative for developing policies to curtail the spread of shadow economies across the states in the U.S.

FREE TRADE OR PROTECTIONISM? TRADE BARRIERS AND TRADE POLICY OF THE EU

For years, a number of researchers have questioned whether there is an implicit impulse for protectionism hidden behind the tariff and non-tariff liberalization clauses put forward in all new EU agreements, as well as in the Union's participation in various formats of multilateral trade negotiations. On the other hand, the introduction of protectionist measures implemented by many countries around the world is increasingly being observed. In order to summarize and clarify these trends in the development and restructuring of the global trade system and the EU's place in it, the article first summarizes some insights from economic theory and empirical research on free trade and protectionism, then it examines the pre-pandemic trade barriers vis-à-vis the EU, and finally it assesses the “new framework” of bilateral and multilateral preferential trade agreements in the EU trade policy.

Does household indebtedness contribute to the decline of union density?

ABSTRACT This paper argues that rising household indebtedness is associated with the decline of organised labour. Over the last decades, the financial system is increasingly financing working-class households, and recent research shows that indebted employees become more risk-averse at the workplace on the fear of losing their job and defaulting. Thus, since union formation or participation is commonly punished with redundancy, rising household indebtedness is likely to be associated with the aggregate reduction in unionisation. This study examines this argument for a high-, a mid-, and low-unionisation economy over the period 1965–2018: Sweden, Japan, and South Korea, respectively. Regression analysis provides robust support in favour of this argument. The results also suggest that financial regulation and social norms about personal insolvency matter for the size of the effects of household debt on unionisation.

Becoming a union leader in an unfavorable industrial relations system

Union leaders dedicate a significant amount of their time to unions, and in some cases, their entire life. Scholarly literature has made great progress in identifying the individual and mesolevel variables that explain how this type of union participation begins and continues. Yet it has paid little attention to the role played by the national industrial relations system in these processes. Drawing on the concept of “union career,” this article shows that the national regulations and the union power shape the characteristics and development of union leaders’ participation. Based on an in-depth interview program, a survey and a review of the press in Chile, it examines how neoliberal reforms implemented since 1979 changed the resources and opportunities available to workers to assume, manage, and maintain union positions.

Trade union and Industry 4.0 implementation: two polar cases in Brazilian trucks manufacturing

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss how trade union leaders deal with the implementation of Industry 4.0 (I4.0). The study is circumscribed to the Brazilian automotive sector and came from a human-centric (Industry 5.0) concern related to issues such as organisational learning, knowledge, innovation and workplace learning.Design/methodology/approachCase studies in two truck plants related to union participation during new product and process implementation based on Industry 4.0. Semi-structured interviews with union leaders from both plants were conducted to determine the subtle similarities and differences between the two polar types.FindingsThe findings pointed out that human resources and workplace learning must be reviewed to prepare workers to face I4.0. Four themes are explored: modernisation origins; negotiation process; workers’ concerns; and results and lessons learned. The findings highlight concerns about employees and job loss; replacement of workers by technological devices; workplace learning and the trade union perspective; and influence of the country’s economic situation on I4.0 implementation in social systems dependent on worker tacit knowledge.Originality/valueThis paper presents labour union leaders’ perspectives related to the impact of I4.0 and contributes to a better understanding of industry-worker workplace learning.

Participation of trade unions in corporate codetermination: Legitimisation, economic impacts and legal protection

Corporate codetermination is one of the most controversial parts of labour law. This applies, in particular, to the participation of trade unions, which is notably permitted in Germany and Sweden. This article examines the legitimisation and economic impacts of union participation. Special attention will be given to the recent decision of the ECJ concerning the legal protection of trade union involvement in the course of a transformation into a European company (SE). The general aim of this article is to bring the various interests into appropriate balance.

Factors Preventing Public University Academic Staff Involvement in Trade Unions

Trade unions in Malaysia play an important role in upholding workers' rights through collective voice and consultation with employers to defend the interests of their members. However, there are various factors that prevent the academic staff of public universities from engaging with trade unions in their universities. The focus of this study is to identify factors that hinder the involvement of public university academic staff in trade unions. This study uses quantitative and qualitative methods to achieve its objectives. A total of 168 academic staff members responded to the questionnaire. The quantitative data obtained is then analysed using SPSS software. A structured interview session involving 13 informants among members and non-trade union members was also conducted. The results showed that the level of factors hindering the involvement of academic staff was moderate. While qualitative findings found four factors that hinder the involvement of academic staff in trade unions, namely (i) the roles and functions of trade unions, (ii) the influence of friends, (iii) the terms of membership, and (iv) personal responsibility. The study suggests that public university trade unions should organise various awareness programmes for academic staff to encourage their participation in trade unions.

International cooperation of subjects of public control: towards the formulation of the problem

This article is devoted to the analysis of the problems of international cooperation of subjects of public control. The author substantiates the role and importance of the institution of public control in the system of legal guarantees for the implementation, protection and protection of the constitutional principles of democracy and public participation in the management of state affairs. The paper notes the importance of organizing and implementing international cooperation of subjects of public control in order to achieve such goals as combining efforts and increasing efficiency in the organization and activities of subjects of public control. At the same time, the article classifies the forms of such international cooperation of subjects of public control, in particular, it highlights: their participation in international conferences, symposiums; participation in international associations and unions of subjects of public control; participation of certain types of public associations in the work of international non-governmental organizations whose activities are aimed at the development of civil society institutions. A number of scientific research methods are used in the work, in particular: comparative legal; historical legal; statistical; sociological; formal logical; method of analyzing specific practical situations. The article formalizes and analyzes the main problems preventing the optimal participation of Russian subjects of public control in international cooperation, in particular: the lack of formalization of this institution of civil society in the country's Constitution; the failure to consolidate in the legislation on public control the legal foundations governing the grounds, limits and forms of the above-mentioned cooperation; weak use of positive foreign experience of cooperation of civil society subjects whose activities are aimed at organizing and exercising control over the apparatus of public power; weak financing of Russian subjects of public control; the risk of using international cooperation of Russian subjects of public control to undermine the national security of the Russian Federation. The work has developed and justified a system of measures to resolve these problems, including by making appropriate amendments and additions to the Constitution of Russia and legislation.

Copyright and Digital Sovereignty

Digital transformation affects all social spheres bringing to life interactive technologies and virtual reality. Since the virtual (digital) space depends on the digital and creative solutions that form its technological base, insofar the legal regime of copying creative solutions affects both the freedom of creativity necessary for sustainable development and public control which is significant for maintaining the manageability of sovereign states and integrational unions.Aim. Improving the legal regime for the protection of interactive works to create a universal and harmonious information space where the rights of authors and the economic interests of software developers are protected, as well as digital sovereignty is guaranteed.Tasks. The concept development for legal protection of interactive works and the political and legal modeling of the digital (information) space presuppose the implementation of international agreements in the field of intellectual rights, as well as solution of several tasks to formalize the results of the creative activity that are perceived through digital technologies.Methods. Political and legal modeling of the digital space is carried out by introducing terminological certainty and creating a system of the interactive works protection. Such legal construction should provide effective public control while preserving creative freedom in digital space.Results. The protection of the copyright and moral rights of the authors of interactive works differs significantly from the legal protection of audiovisual artworks and literature. While the form of objective expression in computer programs may be similar to a literary artwork, their perception by the target audience is fundamentally different in that it models a virtual (digital) space, which the state administration seeks to control in recent years.Conclusion. The state administration’s tendency to digital sovereignty makes sense only if the target audience demonstrates high demand for interactive artworks published under the state jurisdiction. Since the information space is universal, the digital sovereignty of the state is inextricably linked with participation in integration unions that ensure the p roper quality of the results of creative work and create the digital space that is necessary under digital transformation for the interactive art development and the prosperity of creative corporations.

Resurfacing Dignity as a Tool for the Unionization of African American Lower-Tier Workers

Selected lower-tier occupational sectors were defined as essential during the early phase of the Covid crisis. Accordingly, that period provided an opportunity to explore whether certain African American lower-tier workers might have acquired a greater sense of dignity and value for their work. By drawing from the author's earlier research on low-income African Americans and a recent study of such workers, this essay explores how considerations of value and dignity in the workplace during early Covid inform about the prospects for organizing such lower-tier workers for union participation.

The union participation construct: A mixed-methods assessment

Using interview and survey data, in this article the authors compare discrepancies between emic (how union members classify their union participation) and etic (how researchers classify union participation) conceptualizations of union participation. Interview data were used to create activity-level profiles that link how study participants labelled their level of union participation to the union activities they participated in. Survey data were used to determine the relationship between type of participation (i.e. active, passive) and generational cohort to how members view their level of union participation. Qualitative and quantitative findings are compared and implications drawn concerning how researchers/practitioners should conceptualize the union participation construct offered.

Trade Union Participation and Influence at Norwegian Workplaces During the Pandemic

A central feature of the Nordic model of labor relations, namely, the collaboration between social parties at the workplace, has proven to be particularly effective during crises. This is the backdrop for our study of the experiences from Trade Union Representatives (TU-reps) during the corona pandemic. With a survey aimed at TU-reps from the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), which represents just under half of the total unionized employees, we asked how the pandemic affected their participation and influence at the workplaces. Referring to the pandemic as a game changer, we discuss signs of change in TU-reps’ possibilities for participation and influence under such difficult circumstances. According to theTU-reps, interaction between the social parties intensified during the pandemic. Formal participation between the parties stands out to be crucial for enabling dialog and can therefore be labeled as the backbone of the Nordic model in times of crisis.

Optimal income taxation in unionized labor markets

This paper extends the Diamond (1980) model with labor unions to study optimal income taxation and to analyze whether unions can be desirable for income redistribution if income taxes are optimized. Unions bargain with firms over wages in each sector and firms unilaterally determine employment. Optimal unemployment benefits and optimal income taxes are lower in unionized labor markets. Unions raise the efficiency costs of income redistribution, because unemployment benefits and income taxes raise wage demands, and thereby generate involuntary unemployment. We show that unions are socially desirable only if they represent (low-income) workers whose participation is subsidized on a net basis. By creating implicit taxes on work, unions alleviate the labor-market distortions caused by income taxation. We empirically verify whether (i) participation tax rates are lower if unions are more powerful, and (ii) unions are desirable by compiling our own data set with union densities and participation tax rates for 18 sectors in 23 advanced countries. In line with our theoretical predictions, we find that participation tax rates are lower if unions are stronger. Moreover, the desirability condition for unions is never met empirically. Numerical simulations for the Netherlands confirm that unions are not desirable if income taxes are optimized and optimal participation taxes are lower if unions are stronger.