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Rethinking trade unionism: Union renewal as transition

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  • Peter Fairbrother

Abstract

Union renewal has been the subject of debate over the last two decades. Via a review of these debates, a revision of the union renewal thesis is presented, suggesting that union renewal should be examined as a process of transition. Three analytic dimensions of renewal are identified and presented, each arising out of a consideration of the debates: union organisation, union capacity and union purpose. The proposition is that an understanding of contemporary unionism involves a consideration of the ways renewal involves a multi-faceted transition in relation to the political economy of trade unionism. The way to understand this characterisation is to reconsider theories about unions in terms of a dialectic, addressing the inter-relationships and integration of union organisation, capacities and purpose.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Fairbrother, 2015. "Rethinking trade unionism: Union renewal as transition," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 26(4), pages 561-576, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:26:y:2015:i:4:p:561-576
    DOI: 10.1177/1035304615616593
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Erica Romero Pender & Patricia Elgoibar & Lourdes Munduate & Ana Belén García & Martin C Euwema, 2018. "Improving social dialogue: What employers expect from employee representatives," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 29(2), pages 169-189, June.
    2. Mark Harcourt & Gregor Gall & Margaret Wilson & Korey Rubenstein, 2022. "The potential of a union default to influence the preferences and choices of non-union workers in unionised workplaces," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(4), pages 1817-1841, November.
    3. Vincent Pasquier & Rémi Bourguignon & Géraldine Schmidt, 2020. "La négociation des Plans de Sauvegarde de l'Emploi, quels arbitrages ?," Working Papers hal-03045537, HAL.
    4. 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.
    5. Jean-Noël Grenier & Patrice Jalette, 2016. "Austerity as an opportunity for union revival: Québec public school teachers," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 27(1), pages 64-80, March.
    6. Christopher Gordon Smith & Tingting Zhang & Lorenzo Frangi & Linda Duxbury, 2023. "Would you like to become a union leader? Analysing leadership intentions through a generational lens," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(6), pages 425-444, November.
    7. Tom Hunt & Heather Connolly, 2023. "Covid‐19 and the work of trade unions: Adaptation, transition and renewal," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 150-166, March.
    8. Ilaria Armaroli, 2022. "Integrating direct employee voice within the framework of worker representation: The role of an Italian trade union in organising disintermediation," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(2), pages 658-684, May.
    9. Lorenzo Frangi & Tingting Zhang & Robert Hebdon, 2020. "Tweeting and Retweeting for Fight for $15: Unions as Dinosaur Opinion Leaders?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(2), pages 301-335, June.
    10. Tom Farnhill, 2018. "Union Renewal and Workplace Greening — Three Case Studies," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(4), pages 716-743, December.
    11. Christopher Lloyd & Tony Ramsay, 2017. "Resisting neo-liberalism, reclaiming democracy? 21st-century organised labour beyond Polanyi and Streeck," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 28(1), pages 129-145, March.
    12. Jon Las Heras & Lluis Rodríguez, 2021. "Striking to Renew: Basque Unions’ Organizing Strategies and Use of the Strike‐Fund," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(3), pages 669-700, September.
    13. Gregor Murray, 2017. "Union renewal: what can we learn from three decades of research?," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 23(1), pages 9-29, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labour relations; neo-liberalism; social justice; trade unions; union renewal;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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