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Blue Solidarity: Police Unions, Race and Authoritarian Populism in North America

Author

Listed:
  • Mark P Thomas

    (York University, Canada)

  • Steven Tufts

    (York University, Canada)

Abstract

With a focus on police unions in the United States and Canada, this article argues that the construction of ‘blue solidarity’, including through recent Blue Lives Matter campaigns, serves to repress racial justice movements that challenge police authority, acts as a counter to broader working class resistance to austerity and contributes to rising right-wing populism. Specifically, the article develops a case study analysis of Blue Lives Matter campaigns in North America to argue that police unions construct forms of ‘blue solidarity’ that produce divisions with other labour and social movements and contribute to a privileged status of their own members vis-a-vis the working class more generally. As part of this process, police unions support tactics that reproduce racialised ‘othering’ and that stigmatise and discriminate against racialised workers and communities. The article concludes by arguing that organised labour should maintain a critical distance from police unions.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark P Thomas & Steven Tufts, 2020. "Blue Solidarity: Police Unions, Race and Authoritarian Populism in North America," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(1), pages 126-144, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:34:y:2020:i:1:p:126-144
    DOI: 10.1177/0950017019863653
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jamie Peck & Nik Theodore, 2008. "Carceral Chicago: Making the Ex‐offender Employability Crisis," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 251-281, June.
    2. Magdalena Bernaciak, 2013. "Labour solidarity in crisis? Lessons from G eneral M otors," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 139-153, March.
    3. Durazzi, Niccolo & Fleckenstein, Timo & Lee, Soohyun Christine, 2018. "Social solidarity for all? Trade union strategies, labour market dualisation and the welfare state in Italy and South Korea," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87940, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
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    Cited by:

    1. Syed Imran Saqib & Matthew M C Allen & Miguel Martínez Lucio & Maria Allen, 2024. "Sustaining Solidarity through Social Media? Employee Social-Media Groups as an Emerging Platform for Collectivism in Pakistan," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 38(3), pages 636-656, June.
    2. Simckes, Maayan & Willits, Dale & McFarland, Michael & McFarland, Cheryl & Rowhani-Rahbar, Ali & Hajat, Anjum, 2021. "The adverse effects of policing on population health: A conceptual model," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).

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