Not so exceptional? Prosocial influences on union support among US workers

US unions have often been characterized as ‘exceptional’ in their weakness and conservatism compared to their Western European counterparts. American organized labor is associated with a ‘business unionism’ philosophy that assumes American workers are only pragmatic and materialistic, seeing their unions as vehicles for improving the terms and conditions of employment at their workplaces. Such an analysis omits the potential power of a belief that unions work to improve society. Applying an experimental vignette design based on a survey of over 1000 employed persons, this article examines whether ‘workplace instrumentality’ is the only motivation for workers to support unions. The authors consider the likelihood of voting yes in a union representation election to test the efficacy of two less studied predictors – perceiving unions as positively influencing society and perceiving them as facilitating workers’ voice in union policies and practices. Logistic regression shows that the most influential beliefs associated with union support were that unions improve terms and conditions of employment for represented workers (‘union instrumentality’), that unions positively influence society (‘prosocial unionism’), and that unions offer workers substantial influence on union policies and practices (‘worker say’). Researchers and union organizing campaigns should consider devoting greater attention to the social benefits of unionism and to union democracy.

SÍNTESIS DE LA REFORMA LABORAL EN MÉXICO (SYNTHESIS OF LABOR REFORM IN MEXICO)

Resumen: El presente artículo ofrece un breve recorrido por el escenario internacional que motivo la reforma laboral en nuestro país y que concluyo el 1 de Mayo del 2019. De manera específica se hace referencia al capítulo laboral del Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá y los cambios sustanciales en nuestra legislación. Con las reformas realizadas, se espera una verdadera democracia sindical y la operatividad eficiente del nuevo sistema de justicia laboral, respeto autentico a los Derechos Humanos Laborales y una nueva relación de trabajo sin elementos discriminatorios, con equidad de género y sin violencia. Todo esto deberá conducir a un pacto social más incluyente y beneficioso para la clase trabajadora.Abstract: This article offers a brief overview of the international scenario that led to the labor reform in our country and which ended on May 1, 2019. Specifically, reference is made to the labor chapter of the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada and the changes substantial in our legislation. With the reforms carried out, it is expected a true union democracy and the efficient operation of the new labor justice system, authentic respect for Labor Human Rights and a new employment relationship without discriminatory elements, with gender equality and without violence. All this should lead to a more inclusive and beneficial social pact for the working class.

Do European elections enhance satisfaction with European Union democracy?

We provide the first individual-level test of whether holding supranational elections in the European Union fosters satisfaction with European Union democracy. First, we examine whether participation at the European Parliament election fosters satisfaction with democracy and whether, among those who participated, a winner–loser gap materializes at the EU level. Second, we examine under which conditions participating and winning in the election affect satisfaction with European Union democracy, focusing on the moderating role of exclusive national identity. Our approach relies on panel data collected during the 2019 European Parliament elections in eight countries. We demonstrate that while participating and winning increase satisfaction, such positive boost does not materialize among those with exclusive national identity. These findings hold an important message: elections are no cure to deep-seated alienation.

Trade union strategies on climate change mitigation: Between opposition, hedging and support

This article aims to provide a better understanding of trade unions’ climate change strategies. Using a qualitative methodology based on an analysis of interviews and documents, the article sets out the three ideal-typical strategies of unions towards climate change mitigation policies: opposition, hedging and support. Our analysis finds that current trade union strategies on climate change are primarily rooted in sectoral interests mediated by union identities and conceptions of union democracy. At a theoretical level, the article contributes to broader debates on interest representation and collective bargaining behaviour by trade unions, in particular to the much-discussed tendency of organized groups to pursue private gains at the expense of common goods.

Propagandastudier: Kooperativa förbundet, demokratin och det fria tankelivet på 1930-talet

Propaganda Studies: The Swedish Cooperative Union, Democracy, and Free Thinking in the 1930s. This article investigates educational efforts of the Swedish Cooperative Union (Kooperativa förbundet, KF) during the late interwar period. It focuses on how KF dealt with the fact that propaganda could be a very effective tool of persuasion – e.g. as commercial advertising – but that it also could undermine democracy. For KF, a prolific and innovative advertiser as well as a strong proponent of democratic ideals, this was a real conundrum. Using study guides, books and journals published by KF as sources, this article investigates how members of its study groups were instructed to think about propaganda and its role in society. It is argued that members were taught a form of critical acceptance of propaganda, one that not only legitimized its role in the market, but in democratic public life as well.

(How) can international trade union organisations be democratic?

International trade union organisations, like unions at national level, commonly affirm their commitment to internal democracy. But what does this mean? There exists a vast literature on union democracy, addressing the questions whether democracy in trade unions is desirable; whether it is possible; and if so, how it can be achieved. However, the focus of analysis is almost exclusively at the national (or sub-national) level, with the premise that union members are individual workers. But international unions (like many national confederations indeed) do not have individual workers as members: they are organisations of organisations. What does this imply for our understanding of union democracy? We begin our article by summarising the broader literature on union democracy, then develop an interpretation of international unions as ‘meta-organisations’. We next explore some of the implications for debates on democracy at international level, and end by asking whether theories of deliberative democracy can help in understanding the options for international union democracy.