Union Support Research Articles

Course‐Based Teacher Professional Communities (With District and Union Support) at the Center of Three‐Dimensional Science Teaching

ABSTRACTThis study focuses on how two school districts managed and changed the instructional core—student learning goals, instructional resources and strategies, and assessments—in their required high school biology course as they responded to new state science standards based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Biology teachers in both districts had access to NGSS‐aligned resources for their classrooms. Interviews with teachers, district science coordinators, and union leaders revealed how district responses were affected by two institutional logics: academic logics included the criteria that teachers used to choose resources and strategies for their classrooms and professional logics included the roles and responsibilities of district professionals. Participants from District A endorsed a common‐sense experiential academic logic, which recognized teachers' obligations to meet general criteria for content coverage while using their personal experiences and values to make detailed instructional decisions. They also endorsed a professional logic of privacy and noninterference, which recognized teachers' individual autonomy in making decisions about their classroom instructional cores. In contrast, participants from District B described how district professionals empowered a course‐based professional community to make decisions about the instructional core that all biology teachers followed in their own classrooms. We examine how this strategy enabled actions consistent with an instructional improvement logic that supported an NGSS‐aligned instructional core in all biology classrooms. We consider the implications of this contrast for teacher learning in organizational settings—the focus of this special issue.

The role and value of professional membership for emergency nurses: What are the key elements?

Granovetter (1973) wrote on the ‘Strength of Weak Ties’, even though published all those years ago, there was value and recognition placed on the strength of smaller group interactions and how they can impact on more macro level patterns, the same sociological theory holds true today. There are strengths in professional memberships, whether they are conducted on a small or large scale. They are powerful vessels for nurses to have impactful interactions. We recognize that professional memberships for nursing are available globally, whether that is through a local, national, or international organization. They offer a broad range of opportunities including education, bursaries, conferences, networking, and leadership opportunities. They are seen to connect and engage with peers and in some countries professional organizations also drive change, politically lobby, or even offer professional indemnity insurance or union support. Despite a strong presence in nursing professional organizations, the evidence shows that membership is declining or staying stagnant, and it is growing more difficult to bring nurses together through these channels. So, the question must be asked, ‘Why do nurses not strongly engage with professional organizations?’ This study focuses on emergency nurses to gain a greater understanding of drivers for professional membership and engagement.

The politics of teachers' union endorsements

AbstractSchool board candidates supported by local teachers' unions overwhelmingly win, and we examine the causes and consequences of the “teachers' union premium” in these elections. First, we show that union endorsement information increases voter support. Although the magnitude of this effect varies across ideological and partisan subgroups, an endorsement rarely hurts a candidate's prospects with the electorate. Second, we benchmark the size of the endorsement premium to other well‐known determinants of vote choice in local elections. Perhaps surprisingly, we show the effect can be as large as the impact of shared partisanship, and substantially larger than the boost from endorsements provided by other stakeholders. Finally, examining real‐world endorsement decisions, we find that union support for incumbents hinges on self‐interested pecuniary considerations and is unaffected by performance in improving student academic outcomes. The divergence between what endorsements mean and how voters interpret them has troubling normative democratic implications.

Bureaucratic Law Transformation and Trade Union Fragmentation in Thailand and Japan in the Context of Free Trade

To achieve economic development, a country must cooperate with other nations. This often involves a partnership where one country provides workers, while foreign investors contribute significant capital. To sustain such trade relationships, bureaucratic reform is sometimes necessary. These reforms aim to enhance administrative efficiency and economic competitiveness but can also lead to the fragmentation of trade unions, which impacts workers' protection and rights. This research explores the transformation of bureaucratic law and trade union fragmentation in Thailand and Japan within the context of free trade. A qualitative comparative study method was employed to analyze the effects of these reforms in both countries. In Thailand, reforms aimed at simplifying the licensing process and reducing regulations have been successful in attracting foreign investment and accelerating economic growth. However, they have also increased job uncertainty and weakened social protection. In Japan, while traditional labor unions persist, the increasing fragmentation has resulted in uneven worker protection. This analysis reveals that the social and economic effects of these changes are complex and require careful policy consideration to balance economic growth with worker protection. The study recommends comprehensive labor law reforms, increased social dialogue, and stronger support for new trade unions to ensure fair and sustainable worker protections in both countries.

Shaping tomorrow's managers: The influence of university education on economics students' attitudes toward corporate social responsibility and labor unions

AbstractUniversity education significantly shapes individual values and views, influencing future managers' approaches to CSR and labor relations. This study, employing a survey and experimental vignette methodology, examines the impact of university education on economics students' attitudes toward CSR and organized labor. Our results indicate that while overall attitudes toward CSR remained stable, students showed a slight shift toward profit orientation when faced with real‐life managerial scenarios. There was also a decline in support for labor unions over the academic year, possibly due to neoliberal perspectives in teaching. A key finding is the emergence of a profit‐oriented mindset among economics students, reflecting broader managerial considerations. The study underscores the importance of examining how theoretical knowledge translates into practical decision‐making contexts and suggests the need for a nuanced understanding of CSR and labor union attitudes among economics students, thereby contributing to the discussion on higher education's role in shaping future business leaders.

A Study of Nigerian Army’s Involvement in African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur, 2004–2007

Abstract This study investigated the role of the Nigerian Army in the African Union-initiated peace mission in Darfur between 2004 and 2007, in a conflict between the Government of Sudan and two rebel groups in Darfur. This qualitative research which was anchored on Relative Deprivation, Frustration and Aggression, and Role theories, adopted a historical research design. Instruments for, and methods of data collection were primarily direct interviews conducted with Nigerian soldiers. Sample was drawn from officers and men of the Nigerian Army who had participated in the peace mission. The paper finds that even though the mission was beset with numerous challenges, the activities of Nigerian soldiers helped ameliorate the dire situation and restored hope to the embattled people of Darfur. The paper concludes that the nexus between leadership failure in the African Union and inadequate support from the international community accounted for the challenges that befell the mission.

ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP UKRAINE–EU: RETROSPECT AND CHALLENGES OF FURTHER ENHANCED COOPERATION

Ukraine has been a priority partner of the EU since the signing of the Association Agreement in 2014. It was the significant financial and economic support of the EU as a whole and, in particular, of individual EU member states that became a key tool for avoiding catastrophic consequences in the financial and economic system of our country at the beginning of a full-scale war and for the current financing of the state budget deficit. Today, the European Union's support for Ukraine is extremely significant, although it is accompanied by a number of problematic issues that require an in-depth study of certain aspects of economic partnership in terms of finding ways and directions to improve the use of the potential of bilateral economic relations with the European Union as a whole and with individual EU member states.The methodological basis of the study is based on general scientific and special methods of economic theory, in particular, methods of theoretical generalization and comparative analysis for a comprehensive consideration of the research issue, and statistical methods of analysis. In the course of the study, the statistical materials of the European Union and the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine on foreign trade in goods were used.Modern scientific views on the content and prospects of Ukraine's economic partnership with the EU are studied. The key stages of the development of Ukraine's economic partnership with the European Union are summarized and schematized, with details of the areas of sectoral cooperation. The main indicators of trade relations and their role in the economies of the studied countries are analyzed. The key obstacles to further deepening of the economic partnership are substantiated, the elimination of which should be the primary goal of our country on the way to European integration.The obtained results can serve for further study of trade relations and their role in the economies of the studied countries.

Analysing the heterogeneity in working conditions of migrant informal workers in China: a test of the WIEGO model of informal employment

This paper sheds light on the internal heterogeneity within the informal economy by examining the working conditions of migrant informal workers in China. It presents the first attempt to test the WIEGO model on the relationship between informality, income, poverty and gender. Based on 107,020 samples of informal workers from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), economic, social and occupational health components of working conditions of migrant informal workers in five employment-status tiers are analysed. The results show the significant heterogeneity within informal workers in terms of their income, working intensity, labour contracts, social security, union and community support. The relationships between the informal employment tiers and income, poverty and gender show a pattern that is not fully in line with the WIEGO model, suggesting the complexity and plurality of heterogeneities in informal employment. The paper concludes by calling for research on regional varieties of the heterogeneity in informal employment worldwide to better understand the unfolding of the inequality-informality nexus in specific contexts.

Revocation of Union Cards

A requisite element of a union organizing campaign is the collection of evidence of union support, commonly referred to as “union cards.” Organizers can, and frequently do, say anything to get employees to “sign on the dotted line.” With signed union cards, a union can demand an election or even secure representation status without the benefit of a vote. An election campaign, therefore, is about more than the ballots: it is a battle about the cards themselves. Without sufficient evidence of support, a union is unable to gain any ground in the fight for status as collective bargaining representative.

The European Union's support of the implementation of the peace process in Colombia

AbstractThe Peace Agreement in Colombia signed on September 27, 2016 ended one of the deadliest armed conflicts in Latin America, which lasted for half a century. The agreement is an effective peacemaking and peacebuilding model because it tackles the conflict's root causes and the process is led by Colombians. The actors of the conflict perceived the international community and the European Union's support as extremely positive because it remained consistent, combined political and financial support, and supported Colombian‐led policies. The EU's support for the peace process is also an excellent example of a match between the Colombia's demands for support and the tailor‐made support offered by the EU. Moving forward, key challenges are for Colombian authorities to continue accelerating the agreement's implementation—instead of reinventing the wheel after each presidential election—and for the international community to continue providing consistent political and financial support while prioritizing empowerment of local actors.

E-SMART Assessment for Rural Areas (Case Study of Veliko Tarnovo Region, Bulgaria)

Abstract The research topic is motivated by the fact that rural areas in Bulgaria are lagging behind in their economic, social and territorial development compared to urban areas, despite European Union support policies for regional development and cohesion. Regardless of the fact that more and more the specialized literature investigating the development of rural areas emphasizes multifaceted factors, including environmental, social and technological aspects, there is a lack of a complex approach to analysis and assessment of their condition. Therefore, the authors set out to develop and demonstrate the application of a comprehensive E-SMART evaluation model based on a combination of 6 groups of factors with a significant impact on the socio-economic development of rural areas. The approbation of the toolkit was carried out in the seven rural municipalities in the Veliko Tarnovo region. The analysis of the results of the groups of factors – economic, social, manufacturing, agriculture, resources and technologies, as well as the complex indicator E-SMART-score, reveals the general and specific problems, as well as the competitive advantages of the rural areas included in the analysis. E-SMART model can be used as a reliable tool to increase the administrative capacity of municipalities when making strategic decisions for the development of the region.

Dancing at the crossroads: Lessons from Ireland on collective labour law reform

AbstractThe past 20 years were convulsive for industrial relations in Ireland: from boom to bust and back again, with the Financial Crisis killing off national bargaining; the Supreme Court first undermining sectoral bargaining, then shifting back in favour of it; and of course, the Covid‐19 pandemic generating an overhaul of working conditions across society. All along, widespread industrial unrest has been notable by its absence. Long‐term decline in Irish trade union density continues, despite recent research showing significant popular support for trade unions, particularly among young workers. Now, the obligation to transpose the Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages has brought Ireland to a crossroads in collective labour law and industrial relations reform. How Ireland has responded to these pressures, internal and external, holds lessons for other jurisdictions, of which this article highlights three: a commitment to pragmatic adaptation over principled coherence makes measuring the success of any reform project difficult; different methods of reform enjoy varying levels of legitimacy; and disjunction between different levels of bargaining generates pressure on the system, including risks to the legitimacy of the system itself and the actors within it—particularly beleaguered trade unions.

A new labor movement? Assessing the worker upsurge in the contemporary U.S.

ABSTRACT This article explores the labor upsurge of the early 2020s and places it in an historical context. In the early 2020s, workers across the U.S. protested, organized, and walked out, part of an upsurge that produced remarkable results. There were union victories at some of the country’s best-known corporations, including Starbucks, Amazon, Google, Apple, and Trader Joe’s. Between 2021 and 2023, more than 360 Starbucks stores unionized, most through independent worker action. Over 8,000 workers also organized an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, doing so with a grassroots union and a budget of just $120,000. Across the country, the number of strikes surged, petitions for National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) elections rose sharply, and union density increased for the first time in decades. Opinion polls also showed record levels of public support for unions. Rather than seeing the upsurge as new – as media accounts stressed – the article links it to longer-term trends, particularly many decades of bargaining givebacks, increasing income inequality, and long-term union decline. Across the U.S., workers reached their breaking point, and hit back. Short-term conditions – particularly the labor shortage produced by the pandemic – were important, but the upsurge also reflected longer-term grievances that built up over decades.

Italian women workers and women activists between home and factory: the struggle against labour precarity (1950s–1970s)

AbstractFrom a gender historical perspective, labour precarity constitutes a long-term phenomenon. Women's work represents a privileged observatory to understand how instability and precarity also characterised the cycle of economic and industrial expansion of the 1950s and 1960s. The article compares the conditions of female factory workers with those of home-based workers, a traditionally invisible category of workers, who between the 1960s and 1970s promoted demonstrations and protests with the support of trade unions, women's associations and local institutions. Changes in the subjectivity of women workers and homeworkers, whose demands often came together and gave rise to joint protests, not only became part of broader discussions on the relationship between industrial crisis and precariousness, but also generated discourses on specific forms of work that are now central to debates on flexible/precarious work such as part-time work.

Employee Support for Unionization at Starbucks? A Peer-Influence Negotiation

Workers’ personal perspectives on situations and the actions they take are shaped by their own experiences and preferences and through negotiated agreements with others. Employee Support for Unionization at Starbucks is a four-person negotiation exercise that reinforces skills of perspective-taking and listening within the context of peer influence with others who may or may not agree with them. Students review a scenario about a familiar context (a Starbucks store) and craft individualized perspectives based on assigned roles as a barista or shift leader. Students prepare negotiation plans to influence each other regarding whether to support unionizing efforts at their store. This small group exercise simulates how personal perspectives (priorities, positions, and goals) and peer relationships affect one’s approach and negotiation of key issues. The debrief explores relevant concepts and the impact of shared perspectives, emotions, and workplace relationships.

Substantiating EU citizenship: an unintended route to anti-establishment support

ABSTRACT This study explores the relationship between European Union citizenship and support for anti-establishment parties across the EU’s older and newer, post-communist democracies. By conceptually linking EU support to substantive EU citizenship, this study identifies the contingent nature of EU citizenship’s effect on support for anti-establishment parties. We conduct a multilevel regression analysis across 22 EU member-states, using data generated by a Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2018. This survey counts on support for EU coordinated foreign policy, in addition to conventional EU support measures, enabling an analysis at different levels of EU politics. Findings show that citizens’ support at these different levels depresses their support for anti-establishment parties across old democracies, yet increases it across new democracies. Hence, the effect of EU citizenship emerges as being contingent on whether citizens are in an old or a new, post-communist democracy of the EU, and on where the borders of the EU are drawn. This contingency has potential to be an instrument of deepening the emerging transnational cleavage between liberal, cosmopolitan and traditional, authoritarian values for old democracies and of manipulation by inward looking parochial, populist politics for new democracies. This will affect the nature of European politics and the future of integration.

Survey Results Signal a Warning: Don't Underestimate the Current Appeal of Unions

Even paying passing attention to mainstream media, an individual is likely to come away with the impression that labor unions are having their day. Strikes abounded in 2023. Highly publicized organizing is associated with everyday names like Starbucks and Amazon. It can be easy, however, to look at the Detroit automakers, or northern coffeehouses and shipping warehouses, and dismiss the magnitude of current support for unionization. Employers do so at their own peril.

Unequal perspectives? Income inequality as a benchmark for support for European integration

Despite growing attention to income inequality in debates about European integration, our understanding of its effect on European Union support remains limited. Using European Social Survey data from 2002 to 2020, we analyse how income inequality and pro-redistribution attitudes shape diffuse and specific forms of support for the European Union. We find no direct effect of country-level income inequality, while individual support for redistribution has a negative effect on both. In line with benchmarking theory, inequality emerges as a contextual moderator: in unequal national settings, egalitarian citizens are comparatively more supportive of further integration than in more equal countries. This effect persists when we control for income position, suggesting an ideological rather than utilitarian basis for benchmarking European Union attitudes. We discuss implications in light of debates about a social Europe.

A world systems analysis of union membership and support for government spending on environmental protection

This article contributes to debates about trade unions and the environment by studying international variation in the association between union membership and support for government spending on environmental protection. Building on research which demonstrates a positive membership effect on support for environmental protection, the article extends the geographical scope beyond the more economically developed contexts studied previously. Using World Systems Theory as a comparative framework, distinguishing between core, semi-periphery, and periphery states, the article explores whether the positive membership effect extends beyond more affluent core states and reveals an intriguing empirical puzzle: while public support for environmental spending is substantially weaker in core states relative to non-core states, the latter being subject to more extensive environmental threats, the reverse holds for the membership effect on environmental spending support which instead tends to be more positive in core states. Union membership thus tends to have the largest positive impact on environmental spending support in countries where public support for such spending tends to be lower. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings for the global effort to address an ongoing environmental crisis are discussed by considering the notion of a solidarity effect.

Proximal versus distal temporal orientation in an infinite game: lessons from the 1892 Homestead Massacre

PurposeWorking conditions, pay rates and the rights of workers to collectively negotiate have become important points of discussions in recent years, with support for unions and union applications rising to levels long unseen in America. In many instances, though, companies have responded aggressively. This is not the first time such a dynamic has played out in American business. This study aims to take a fresh look at one of America’s most prominent historical disputes between labor and ownership – the Homestead Massacre of 1892 – to glean lessons from that conflict that remain relevant to today’s business environment.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts game theory and the principles of repeated interaction to assess how differing discount factors led to differences in time orientations between the workers and the Carnegie company. These differing time orientations affected both the strategy each side deployed in the negotiations and the payoffs received by the parties. Letters, contemporary news reports and histories of the events leading up to and immediately following the 1892 Homestead Massacre are qualitatively analyzed with a genealogical pragmatic approach.FindingsDifferences in temporal orientation between management and workers exacerbated the conflict, with the workers adopting a more cooperative stance and distal time orientation, while the Carnegie company negotiated with a proximal time orientation and played to “win” a game that, in fact, could not be fully won or lost given its infinitely repeating nature. The result was a short-term victory for the Carnegie company but with long-term negative consequences that highlight the suboptimal outcome the company achieved by playing a proximal strategy in an infinite game.Originality/valueAlthough the incident at Homestead is a well-studied labor dispute, many of the themes that preceded the incident have resurfaced in the modern work context. This work, by adopting game theory as an analytical framework, provides new insights into management mistakes that led to the labor conflict and lessons for what present-day managers can do to avoid exacerbating labor strife.