Union Participation Research Articles

Utilitair individualisme en vakbondsparticipatie in Vlaanderen

Utilitarian individualism and union participation in Flanders Utilitarian individualism and union participation in Flanders This study investigates an assumed consequence of the individualization of the labour market: utilitarian individualism. How did this attitude evolve in Flanders between 1996 and 2007 and what influence did it have on union participation and associations in general? To answer these questions, data of the yearly Social Cultural Changes surveys, which are requested by the Flemish Government, were analysed. Each year about 1500 people complete the survey. The results were in line with previous research, that in general, members of an association have lower utilitarian individualism than non-members. The unions were, however, an exception to the rule. Utilitarian individualism did not predict, directly or indirectly, union membership. This missing relationship might be the result of the fact that there is no serious alternative for the unions in Flanders. Hence, unions do not have to fear that utilitarian individualism might impact part of their power base, i.e., the amount of members they represent. Moreover, utilitarian individualism has been declining in Flanders since 1999 and is therefore not necessarily a consequence of the increased individualization of the labour market.

“We are the Union”: Care Work, Unions, and Social Movements

This article explores the potential confluences between the labor movement and calls for a “care movement.” Scholars of care work focus on the paid and unpaid labor that provides for the health, education, and well-being of a society—including taking care of children as well as those who are ill or elderly. Using care as a frame for thinking about social change has the potential to be part of a renewed labor movement, and in this paper, I describe three different ways of conceptualizing care as part of union organizing as well as of a more broadly defined labor movement. Do low-wage care workers represent the new face of the “working class”? Or does “care work” represent a broad occupational category that unites workers on the basis of that shared experience across traditional class boundaries? Perhaps the concept of care offers the possibility of uniting workers even more broadly on the basis of their shared family and community needs? I argue that labor scholars and activists could make important conceptual and strategic gains by linking to the idea of care in all three of these ways. In particular, the notion that all workers should have the right to care could be a powerful discourse in efforts to expand union participation and labor's impact on far-reaching social change.

Sustainable development consequences of European Union participation in Senegal's Marine Fishery

Abstract The article evaluates the impact of EU fishing activities for the sustainable development of Senegal's maritime fishery. An evaluation of Senegalese fisheries’ policy discourse introduces the idea that Senegalese fisheries’ policies have not been fully compatible with the sustainable development of the country's fishery sector. A comparative analysis of the sustainable development impacts associated with the activities of different fishery user groups shows that managed activities of heterogeneous user groups can benefit the sustainable development of the sector. Conclusions suggest that the heterogeneity of the user groups frequenting Senegal's marine fishery system can be capitalised upon through allocating fishery access in accord with each group's ability to generate sustainable development benefits. On the basis of these findings the article suggests that the presence of an EU fleet in Senegalese waters could play a meaningful role in ensuring the sustainable development of Senegal's marine fishery.

Social movement unionism or professionalism? the union movement of Taiwanese documentary makers

Taiwanese documentaries have grown rapidly in terms of local consumption and production since the 2000s, despite the dominance of Hollywood in the local film market. However, most documentary workers still suffer from poor working conditions because of a lack of sufficient resources for local productions. In response to this situation, Taiwanese documentary makers founded a labour union in 2006 to protect their basic working rights. This paper describes this union movement as well as analysing the challenges that it encounters. These challenges include a very low degree of participation in unions among Taiwanese cultural workers, anti-union sentiment among professionals and freelancers and the ‘association-prone’, as opposed to ‘union-prone’ nature of Taiwanese occupational unions. Despite these obstacles, the strong traditional linkages between Taiwanese documentary-makers and dissenting social and political movements has enabled the documentary workers' union to pursue a form of ‘social movement unionism’, which opens up opportunities for revitalisation even when there is a general decline of the trade union movement.

101 Trade Unionists Murdered in 2009

REPORT□ ITUCANNUAL SURVEY 101 Trade Unionists Murdered in 2009 The Rights inthe ITUC's number has documented Annual oftrade Survey unionists a dramatic of Trade murdered increase Union Rights has documented a dramatic increase inthenumber oftradeunionists murdered in2009,with101killings - an increase of30 percentovertheprevious year.TheSurvey, released today,also revealsgrowing pressureon fundamental workers' rights aroundtheworldas the impact oftheglobaleconomiccrisis on employment deepened. Of 101murdered, 48 werekilledin Colombia, 16inGuatemala, 12 inHonduras, sixinMexico, six in Bangladesh, fourin Brazil,threein the DominicanRepublic,threein the Philippines, one in India,one in Iraq and one in Nigeria. Twenty-two of the Colombiantradeunionists whowerekilledwereseniortradeunionleaders andfive werewomen,as theonslaught ofprevious yearscontinued.The rise in violence in Guatemala and Hondurasalso followeda trend developing inrecent years. "Colombiawas yetagain the country where standing up forfundamental rights ofworkers is morelikely thananywhere else to meana death sentence,despitethe Colombiangovernment's publicrelations campaignto the contrary. The worsening situation inGuatemala, Honduras and severalother countries is also cause forextreme concern",said ITUC General SecretaryGuy Ryder. Afurther tenattempted murders and35serious death threats were recorded,again mostlyin Colombiaand Guatemala.Furthermore, many tradeunionistsremainedin prisonand were joinedbyaroundhundred newlyimprisoned in 2009. Many others were arrested in Iran, Honduras,Pakistan,SouthKorea, Turkeyand Zimbabwe inparticular. The generaltradeunion rights' situation has continued to deteriorate ina number ofothercountries, including Egypt, the Russian Federation, SouthKoreaandTurkey. Anti-democratic forces continuedto target unionactivity, awarethat unionsareoften inthe front lineinthedefenceofdemocracy. Thiswas evidentin Hondurasduringthepost-coupviolenceandinGuineaduring a protest demonstrationagainst theruling juntawhichturned intoa terrible massacre on 28 September. Numerous cases ofstrike-breaking and repression of striking workerswere documentedin each region. Thousandsofworkers demonstrating to claimwages, denounce harshworking conditions or the harmful effects of the global financial and economicalcrisisfaced beatings, arrestand detention,including in Algeria, Argentina, Belarus, Burma,Côted'Ivoire, Egypt, Honduras,India, Iran,Kenya,Nepal, Pakistan and Turkey. Dismissals ofworkers due to their tradeunion activities were reportedin many countries. InBangladesh, sixgarment workers on strike fora pay increaseand settlement of outstanding wagesdiedafter a policeintervention. Unionbustingand pressurecontinuedto be widelyused by employers. In severalcountries, companiesthreatened workerswithclosureor transfer of production sitesiftheyorganised or joined a tradeunion. Oftenemployers simply refused tonegotiate withlegitimate workers' representatives while the authorities did nothing. Some labour codes were amended to permit more 'flexibility' and to unravelsocial welfare systems, whichoften impacted theexisting industrialrelations systemsand thuscurtailed trade unionrights. The undermining ofinternationally-recognised labourstandards saw moreand moreworkers facinginsecurity and vulnerability in employment , withsome 50 percent oftheglobalworkforce nowinprecarious jobs.Thisaffected workers in exportprocessingzones, especiallyin SouthEast Asia and Central America, domestic workers,particularly in the Middle East and SouthEast Asia, and migrants and agricultural workers. Manyoftheworst affected sectors have high concentrations of women workers. Furthermore, thegrowth ofinformal employment and thedevelopment ofnew 'atypical' forms of employment wereseen acrossbothregionsand industrial sectors. The difficulties facedbythese workers toorganise orexercisetheir tradeunion rights aredirectly related to their highly vulnerable position inthelabourmarket. The Survey also highlights manycases where, whiletrade unionrights areofficially protected in legislation, restrictions on legal coverage and weak or non-existent enforcement added to the vulnerability ofworkers already struggling inthe depthsofthecrisis. Severerestrictions oroutright prohibition ofstrikes also existina largenumber of countries. Furthermore, complexprocedural requirements, imposition of compulsory arbitrationand theuse ofexcessively broaddefinitions of 'essentialservices'provisions oftenmakethe exerciseoftradeunionrights impossible inpractice ,depriving workers oftheir legitimate rights to union representation and participation in industrial action. "Thisyear'sITUCsurvey showsthat themajorityoftheworld 'sworkers stilllackeffective protectionof theirrights to organisetradeunions and bargain collectively. Thisis a majorfactor in the long-term increasein economicinequality within and between countries. Inadequate incomes for much of the world's workforce helpedcause theglobaleconomiccrisis, and is making itmuchharder to puttheeconomyon a pathofsustainable growth", said Ryder. Colombia was yetagain the countrywhere standingup for fundamental rightsofworkers is more likelythan anywhereelse to mean a death sentence The ITUC's Department for Human and Trade Union Rights each year prepares the Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights. The report isavailable online atwww.ituc-csi.org Page 21Volume 17Issue 2201 0 INTERNATIONAL union rights ...

The Employment Contract Revisited. Undocumented Migrant Workers and the Intersection between International Standards, Immigration Policy and Employment Law

AbstractThis article considers recent legal developments on undocumented migrant workers, finds the acceptance of international legal standards unsatisfactory and argues that the private law rights derived from the “semi-legal” employment contract between the employer and the undocumented migrant worker generates a solid base for significant legal claims. It further monitors the promotion of the position of the undocumented migrant workers under recent EU law and calls for a refocusing on the employment contract in the reading of a relevant EC Directive, with a particular emphasis on the issue of access to justice for the migrant workers. The increased number of undocumented migrants who leave their countries of origin for reasons outside the scope of the asylum procedure, as well as the circumstances under which this migration is undertaken and the working conditions of these individuals in the host countries, have brought about legal activities from governments and institutions such as the EU. The aim has in general been to establish sanctions against employers of undocumented migrant workers, but a shift towards a compensatory, employee protective, attitude has recently emerged, both in EU legislation and in a broader perspective in US case law. The article concludes that such a development must be massively supported in relation to access to justice in order to fulfill the ambition. The poor legal position of the undocumented migrant workers is significantly connected to issues of legal representation, trade union participation and the threat of repatriation.

Perceived support in a dual organizational environment: Union participation in a university setting

AbstractThere is extensive research on employee attitudes regarding employers and unions, but these studies have underemphasized social and affective forces. Most studies also examine attitudes toward either the union or the employer without considering how these attitudes might relate to one another. The present study of faculty (N = 306) at a large public research university demonstrated that perceptions of union support were positively related to union participation and perceptions of administration support were negatively related to union participation. Subjective norms and general union attitudes were related to perceptions of union support, and subjective norms were related to perceived organizational support. Taken together, an individual's participation in a union recognition effort depends not only on union instrumentality, but also upon social relationships with the union and administration. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Efficiency and productivity of Greek banks in the EMU era

We provide a characterization of the Greek banking system's efficiency and productivity under the new environment that the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) participation implies. We consider cost and profit efficiency as well as productivity change of commercial banks using the nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) Malmquist Index. The period under study is 1998-2003 covering Greece's entry into the euro area in 2001 and the run-up to it. Moreover, enhanced competition along with lower inflation and interest rates has further motivated financial innovation and Off-Balance Sheet (OBS) business. Our findings suggest that cost efficiency has risen by 4.3% over the 6 years under study. Moreover, Greek banks seem to enjoy relatively high profit efficiency (on average 75%) showing an increase by 93% over 1998-2003. Similarly, productivity seems to have risen by 15% and this was mainly driven by the improvements in the performance of best-practice institutions. Our results do not show any role for OBS activities in Greek banks' efficiency. Finally, while the impact of profitability and size on efficiency and productivity yields mixed results, our empirical findings seem to corroborate previous studies in that controlling for risk preferences is important in determining bank efficiency.

Transparency and Catching Up in a Monetary Union

We report transparency scores and growth indicators for the euro area and various classes of potential euro area candidates. We then study currency union stabilization when monetary policy transparency may be imperfect and supply conditions may be country-specific. Sectoral productivity shocks are found to reduce the effectiveness of the single monetary policy compared to monetary autonomy. For a small open economy, a wider cross-country gap in supply slopes (as induced by larger trade openness differentials) favors currency union participation. Small size hampers monetary union stabilization under supply shocks, but not when output target shocks are misperceived by the public.

Managing the 1987 Mine Workers' Strike**

The 1987 mine workers' strike was obviously a major confrontation between the National Union of Mineworkers and mine management. This article, however, seeks to demonstrate that divisions within management (especially in the Anglo-American Corporation) had important implications not only for the outcome of the strike but also for the potential for institutionalisation on the mines of an industrial relations system based on negotiation rather than confrontation. Disagreement about management styles ran through Anglo-American Corporation from head office down to individual mine managers and their respective industrial relations staffs. While the settlement of the 1987 strike represented a short-term victory for authoritarian mine managements and defeat for the union, in the longer term it kept open the possibility of an industrial relations system with full union participation.

Condiciones de trabajo y salud en inmigrantes (Proyecto ITSAL): entrevistas a informantes clave

Objective To describe the characteristics, working conditions, and occupational health situation of immigrant workers in Spain through key informants. Method We performed a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study using indepth interviews carried out in 2006. Organizations and associations working with immigrant collectives in Alicante, Barcelona, Huelva, Madrid and Valencia were identified and the most representative and accessible entities in each location were selected. Fortythree interviews were performed with key informants from 34 different organisms. A narrative content analysis was performed. Results Informants described difficulties in having health problems recognized as workrelated, due to irregular and precarious employment, employers’ and insurance companies’ reluctance, and immigrants’ lack of knowledge. Informants coincided in reporting that the occupational risks for immigrant workers did not differ from those affecting Spanish workers in the same occupations and circumstances. However, exposure to occupational risks was exacerbated in immigrants because of their greater presence in unqualified jobs and their economic need to prolong working hours. Immigrants had little knowledge of their occupational health and safetyrelated rights, although some informants detected an increase in empowerment in this area, mostly through greater participation in trade unions. Conclusions This first step allowed us to identify some of the general factors influencing the health and safety of immigrant workers in Spain. This information will be used in a longterm, ongoing research project [Project Immigration, Work and Health (Proyecto Inmigración, Trabajo y Salud [ITSAL]), which aims to evaluate occupational health problems in inmigrants working in Spain through both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Employees' Perspective on Non-Union Representation: A Comparison with Unions

This study uses survey data from 857 employees of three unionized and three non-union establishments in Korea to compare employees' perspectives on non-union works councils and unions with regard to perceptual, attitudinal and behavioural dimensions. A majority of the hypotheses received fairly strong empirical support. Compared with unions, works councils were found to be lower in terms of perceived performance and employees' commitment, and depended more on employers. Union commitment and union participation were positively related with existence needs, but works council commitment and works council participation were positively related with relatedness needs. The results were interpreted to support the separate domain perspective (i.e. unions and non-union employee representation [NER] serve different purposes) and the complementarity view (i.e. union and NER develop interdependencies and NER cannot substitute unions).

Workplace learning: a trade union failure to service needs

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to open up discussion about the relationship between trade unions and workplace learning.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on an analysis of a series of case‐studies of restructuring in the European steel industry, incorporating interviews, observation and documentary analysis.FindingsThe paper argues that trade unions often fail to address the significance of workplace learning for members, because they address workplace learning as a service. This approach fails to exploit opportunities and possibilities to extend workplace‐learning provisions, and thereby meet the wider learning and employability enhancing needs of members. The outcome is that trade union involvement in skill formation and workplace learning is marginal, and contributes to the perpetuation of traditional sector practices and regressive learning provisions.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper focuses on a discussion of trade union involvement in workplace learning in the European steel industry. The implications for workplace learning practices more generally, are limited to industries where trade unions (and companies/industry) organise in relation to training and learning agendas in similar ways – and in relation to industries undergoing similar process of restructuring and “modernisation”.Practical implicationsThe paper provides a critique of trade union service approaches to learning agendas and highlights for policy‐makers gaps in current learning provisions within industry.Originality/valueThis paper makes an original contribution to debates concerned with trade union involvement and participation in workplace learning. It focuses on workplace inequities in training provision, and the implications for the future of unions and the employability prospects of workforces within the European steel industry.

Fear, the School Organization, and Teacher Evaluation

Fear can be conceptualized differently as experienced by those inside and outside the school organization. Internally, participants respond to fear in a politics of maintenance aimed toward protection against anticipated job loss(es). This article examines internal organizational participants' fear, with particular attention to teachers' fear of being evaluated. It is argued that the cellular organization of teaching contributes to fear, as do certain existing conflicts in evaluation. For example, teachers fearing a summative evaluation may be less than forthcoming about their performance shortcomings and/or goals. An analysis of fear in teacher evaluation should take into account (a) teacher controllability of teaching and its evaluation and (b) principals' preference for evaluation rigidity. In environments compromised by fear, for example, administrators might restrict information in teacher evaluation. Reform directions such as union participation and altering the adversarial tone of evaluation may improve evaluation by more fully developing the skills desired in teaching.

A Critical Review of the Sweeping Federal Civil Service Changes

This article critiques the proposed radical changes to the civil service system at the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense. It also summarizes the civil service problems and assesses whether the proposed changes would be likely to address those problems. It identifies the difficulties that one of the critical changes (merit pay or pay-for-performance) has encountered in the past. The article is critical of the proposed termination of the General Schedule system, which has served the civil service system so well in the past. It expresses concern about the proposed weakening of rights of employee appeals, protections, and meaningful union participation. The article argues that there are a number of problems facing the civil service, but that most of the changes do not address those problems. It lauds the major achievements of the federal service and cautions against radical changes that will have the effect of weakening it.

Collective Bargaining Context and Worker Attitudes: Comparing Team and Traditional Work Systems

Although research on teams often focuses on firm performance, how these initiatives affect workers and their work-related attitudes has received limited attention. This field study examines seniority, off-line problem-solving, and union participation as institutional arrangements within a collective bargaining context that moderate the relationship between work systems and work-related attitudes. Results indicate a negative relationship between team membership and work-related attitudes for those with greater seniority. A positive relationship between team membership and work-related attitudes exists for those who are more active in their union. Higher organizational commitment occurs in team settings when workers had experience in off-line problem-solving programs.

Yielded to Christ or conformed to this world ? Postwar Mennonite responses to labour activism

The urbanization of North American Mennonites after the Second World War necessitated a reconsideration of Mennonite religious beliefs. Post-war concerns for social justice led to a greater emphasis on non-violence and agape at the expense of Gelassenheit. The tenor of Mennonite church conference resolutions regarding labour union membership changed; while skepticism remained regarding the wisdom of union involvement, the door was left open for participation in unions. The labour militancy of the 1970s led Manitoba Mennonites to re-examine their engagement with the labour movement, a process that has continued to the present day. Without further research on Mennonite workplaces, it cannot be known exactly how the change in religious emphases has affected Mennonite identity.

Powerful Community Relationships and Union Renewal in Australia

Terms such as labour-community coalitions, community unionism and social movement unionism are important features of current strategies for union renewal. This article develops a three-part framework of union-community relationships, from ad hoc to deeply engaged relationships. Criteria such as common interest, coalition structure, scale and union participation are identified as important variables for relationship variation and campaign success. The article explores the framework by analyzing three case studies from Sydney, Australia, involving the central labour council—Unions NSW. The paper argues that union-community relationships vary significantly; ad hoc relationships are useful to react to a crisis while deeper relationships are most useful to build a long-term agenda. Deeper relationships are supported when they are built alongside a process of internal union renewal. Deeper relationships are more successful if unions develop workplace leaders, support political union education and provide space for workplace stewards to connect to community campaigns.

The development of key training policies in England and Australia: a comparison

Public policies on training are firmly rooted in the historical, political, economic and social context of their countries. This paper explores the acceptability of such policies to stakeholder groups including learners and employers, and its impact on policy take-up, viability and longevity. The paper uses a comparative analysis of developments in the English and Australian systems in three key areas, using elements of public policy theory, to explain the factors affecting stakeholder acceptance of training policies. The data was gathered through a series of interviews with stakeholders in England and Australia in 2005. The paper focuses on the role of employers and the importance of employer acceptance to the successful implementation of training policy. The paper finds that the successful implementation of training policies depends upon participation in the system by all the stakeholders. The successful implementation of qualifications and apprenticeship policies in Australia rests on a foundation of institutions that support neo-corporatist employer and union participation in policy-making as well as a public trust in past policies that seems to be lacking in England. The degree of employer involvement via neo-corporatist mechanisms such as concertation has a highly significant impact on the success of national training policies.

Explaining union participation: The effects of union commitment and demographic factors

This study examined the relationship between trade union commitment and union participation among blue-collar workers in South Africa. Survey questionnaires were completed by 93 participants (response rate = 62 %). Findings are consistent with previous research and showed that after controlling for demographic factors, 43% of the variance in participation can be explained by union commitment. In this study, Black participants displayed significantly higher levels of commitment and participation than their Coloured counterparts did.