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Unions and the organising turn: Reflections after 20 years of Organising Works

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  • Edmund Heery

Abstract

The launch of Organising Works 20 years ago was a key event, not just in the history of Australian trade unions but on a global scale. It marked the beginning of what might be termed the ‘organising turn’, a shift across the international trade union movement towards the greater prioritisation of union organising. This article reviews the 20-year experience of the turn, reflecting upon three of its core attributes. The first is the origin of much activity at the apex of the official trade union movement and the consequences that flow from this point of origin. The second is the emphasis on diversity, with a particular priority in recent times in trying to organise low-wage migrant workers in precarious employment. The final attribute can be labelled ‘neo-syndicalism’. This term refers to a switch towards the ‘internal’ renewal of trade unions and in this regard can be counterposed to attempts at revitalisation that focus on rebuilding relations with government and employers. The article concludes by arguing that organising can and must remain central to union strategy for renewal in Australia and beyond.

Suggested Citation

  • Edmund Heery, 2015. "Unions and the organising turn: Reflections after 20 years of Organising Works," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 26(4), pages 545-560, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:26:y:2015:i:4:p:545-560
    DOI: 10.1177/1035304615613281
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert Hickey & Sarosh Kuruvilla & Tashlin Lakhani, 2010. "No Panacea for Success: Member Activism, Organizing and Union Renewal," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 48(1), pages 53-83, March.
    2. Bramble,Tom, 2008. "Trade Unionism in Australia," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521888035, January.
    3. Bramble,Tom, 2008. "Trade Unionism in Australia," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521716123, January.
    4. Kim Moody, 2009. "Union Organising in the US: New Tactics, Old Barriers," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Gregor Gall (ed.), The Future of Union Organising, chapter 2, pages 10-27, Palgrave Macmillan.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Piotr Żuk, 2017. "Employment structures, employee attitudes and workplace resistance in neoliberal Poland," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 28(1), pages 91-112, March.
    3. Ruth Barton, 2021. "Trade unions and industrial regeneration in North West Tasmania: Moving beyond lock-in?," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 53(2), pages 332-348, March.
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    5. Charalampos STYLOGIANNIS, 2023. "Freedom of association and collective bargaining in the platform economy: A human rights‐based approach and an ever‐increasing mobilization of workers," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 162(1), pages 123-145, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Collective bargaining; community organising; low-paid workers; partnership unionism; social movement unionism; syndicalism; trade unions; union renewal; union revitalisation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence
    • J58 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Public Policy

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