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An International Study of Trade Union Involvement in Community Organizing: Same Model, Different Outcomes
Author(s) -
Holgate Jane
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
british journal of industrial relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.665
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-8543
pISSN - 0007-1080
DOI - 10.1111/bjir.12098
Subject(s) - instrumentalism , ideology , trade union , political science , political economy , sociology , public administration , economics , law , international trade , politics , epistemology , philosophy
This article reports on a two‐year study of union/community organizing in the UK , USA and A ustralia. It takes a particular model of organizing — that of the I ndustrial A reas F oundation — and analyses trade union engagement in coalition‐building activity in each of the three countries. Findings show mixed approaches to working with community groups from ad hoc instrumentalism to deep coalition‐building. While these variations may, in part, be explained by different industrial relations contexts, it appears that the ‘fit’ between ideology and culture of unions and their coalition partners, as well as the practices and strategies that reinforce this fit, have much greater effect on the attitude and behaviour of unions towards non‐workplace‐based organizing. The article contributes to debates about the conditions under which unions succeed (or not) in sustaining strong coalition‐building beyond their traditional constituencies.