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The Union Avoidance Industry in the United States

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  • John Logan

Abstract

This paper analyses the development of the union avoidance industry in the United States during the past half‐century. Focusing on one leading example from each group, it examines the activities of the four main actors that constitute that industry: consultants, law firms, industry psychologists and strike management firms. Although these firms have experienced a fall in business as unions have declined in strength and numbers — a development that the union avoidance industry has contributed to — they continue to play an important role in the US system of industrial relations. Over three‐quarters of employers hire consultants when confronted by organizing campaigns, and large union avoidance firms are increasingly seeking export markets for their expertise.

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  • John Logan, 2006. "The Union Avoidance Industry in the United States," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 44(4), pages 651-675, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:44:y:2006:i:4:p:651-675
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8543.2006.00518.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. John Logan, 2008. "The End of the Road for American Labour, or a Blueprint for Union Revival?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(1), pages 193-199, March.
    2. John Schmitt & Alexandra Mitukiewicz, 2012. "Politics matter: changes in unionisation rates in rich countries, 1960–2010," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 260-280, May.
    3. Lorenzo Frangi & Sinisa Hadziabdic & Anthony C. Masi, 2022. "In the interest of everyone? Support for social movement unionism among union officials in Quebec (Canada)," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(5), pages 446-465, September.
    4. Janet Druker, 2016. "Blacklisting and its legacy in the UK construction industry: employment relations in the aftermath of exposure of the Consulting Association," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3), pages 220-237, May.
    5. Jirjahn, Uwe, 2024. "Corporate Globalization and Worker Representation," IZA Discussion Papers 16727, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Barry T. Hirsch, 2008. "Sluggish Institutions in a Dynamic World: Can Unions and Industrial Competition Coexist?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 22(1), pages 153-176, Winter.
    7. Jirjahn, Uwe & Mohrenweiser, Jens, 2013. "Active owners and the failure of newly adopted works councils," ZEW Discussion Papers 13-080, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
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    9. Rachel Aleks & Tina Saksida & Aaron S. Wolf, 2021. "Hero or Villain? A Cohort and Generational Analysis of How Youth Attitudes Towards Unions Have Changed over Time," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(2), pages 532-567, June.
    10. Uwe Jirjahn, 2009. "The Introduction of Works Councils in German Establishments — Rent Seeking or Rent Protection?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 47(3), pages 521-545, September.
    11. Caroline Murphy, 2016. "Fear and Leadership in Union Organizing Campaigns," SAGE Open, , vol. 6(1), pages 21582440156, January.
    12. Lance Compa, 2014. "When in Rome: the exercise of power by foreign multinational companies in the United States1," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 20(2), pages 271-293, May.
    13. Michele Campolieti & Rafael Gomez & Morley Gunderson, 2013. "Managerial Hostility and Attitudes Towards Unions: A Canada-US Comparison," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 99-119, March.
    14. Biko Koenig, 2018. "Economic Inequality and the Violation Economy," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(4), pages 505-523, December.
    15. Bryson, Alex & Freeman, Richard B. & Gomez, Rafael & Willman, Paul, 2017. "The Twin Track Model of Employee Voice: An Anglo-American Perspective on Union Decline and the Rise of Alternative Forms of Voice," IZA Discussion Papers 11223, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Uwe Jirjahn, 2025. "Political Spillovers of Worker Representation: With or Without Workplace Democracy?," Research Papers in Economics 2025-02, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    17. Uwe Jirjahn & Steffen Mueller, 2014. "Non-union worker representation, foreign owners, and the performance of establishments," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 66(1), pages 140-163, January.
    18. Imanol Ulacia & Klara Smith-Etxeberria & Angel Beldarrain-Durandegui, 2022. "Applying Work and Organizational Psychology in the Field of Labor Relations: Exploratory Study in Trade Unions in the Basque Country," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-13, December.
    19. Janice FINE, 2015. "Alternative labour protection movements in the United States: Reshaping industrial relations?," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 154(1), pages 15-26, March.
    20. Ruth Milkman, 2013. "Back to the Future? US Labour in the New Gilded Age," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 51(4), pages 645-665, December.
    21. Ashby H. B. Monk, 2008. "The Knot of Contracts: The Corporate Geography of Legacy Costs," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 84(2), pages 211-235, April.
    22. Ian Thomas MacDonald, 2014. "Towards Neoliberal Trade Unionism: Decline, Renewal and Transformation in North American Labour Movements," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 52(4), pages 725-752, December.
    23. Ashok Kumar, 2014. "Securing the security," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(3), pages 356-359, June.

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