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Provoking Preferences: Unionization, Trade Policy, and the ILWU Puzzle

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  • Ahlquist, John S.
  • Clayton, Amanda B.
  • Levi, Margaret

Abstract

If any group of American blue-collar workers has benefited from the growth of trade it is the unionized dockworkers along the US West Coast. Nevertheless, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) representing these workers is vocally opposed to trade liberalization. We examine several competing explanations for this puzzle and evaluate them by tracing the union's stance on trade over several decades. We also use an original survey to compare ILWU affiliates' attitudes on trade with those of nonmembers with otherwise similar characteristics. Consistent with a model of organizational socialization, the data support the hypothesis that ILWU membership affects the members' revealed political opinions; the data are difficult to reconcile with standard theories of international trade. Our findings indicate that the political support for trade depends not just on voters' structural positions in the economy but also on the organizations and networks in which they are embedded.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahlquist, John S. & Clayton, Amanda B. & Levi, Margaret, 2014. "Provoking Preferences: Unionization, Trade Policy, and the ILWU Puzzle," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 68(1), pages 33-75, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:intorg:v:68:y:2014:i:01:p:33-75_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Joseph P. Daniels & Emily Kapszukiewicz & Marc Ruhr, 2020. "International Trade Policy Preferences: The Impact of Patriotism and Nationalism Pre- and Post-9/11," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 48(1), pages 87-98, March.
    2. Yan, Alan Nigel, 2023. "The minimal effects of union membership on political attitudes," SocArXiv zabrq, Center for Open Science.
    3. Paul Frymer & Jacob M. Grumbach, 2021. "Labor Unions and White Racial Politics," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 65(1), pages 225-240, January.
    4. Uwe Jirjahn & Thi Xuan Thu Le, 2024. "Political spillovers of workplace democracy in Germany," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(1), pages 5-31, March.
    5. Becher, Michael & Stegmueller, Daniel, 2019. "Cognitive Ability, Union Membership, and Voter Turnout," IAST Working Papers 19-97, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST).
    6. Meccheri, Nicola, 2023. "Unionised dockworkers and port ownership structure in an international oligopoly," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1326, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. Sung Min Han & Fangjin Ye, 2022. "Labor union, between group inequality, and individual attitudes toward redistribution," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 103(5), pages 1248-1259, September.
    8. Sinisa Hadziabdic & Lucio Baccaro, 2020. "A Switch or a Process? Disentangling the Effects of Union Membership on Political Attitudes in Switzerland and the UK," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(3), pages 466-499, July.
    9. Sung Eun Kim & Sujin Cha, 2022. "Do Voters Reward Politicians for Trade Liberalization? Evidence from South Korea," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 751-780, October.
    10. Michael Becher & Stegmueller, Daniel & Käppner, Konstantin, 2016. "Local Union Organization and Lawmaking in the U.S. Congress," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 304, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    11. Guasti, Alessandro & Koenig-Archibugi, Mathias, 2022. "Has global trade competition really led to a race to the bottom in labor standards?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113752, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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