Unions in your minds What are Unions About? What are Unions About? What is your image of a union leader? What is your image of a union leader?

Voss and Fantasia “Relational Analysis” Material Conditions: The System of Rules Governing Unions The Balance of Power between Workers and Employers Type of Person: Bureaucrat, Strongman, Militant Symbolic: The Place of Unions in the Public Imagination “Special Interest” or “Social Justice” Consumer or Worker

Business/Push Button Unionism Material Material –Negotiation and Enforcement of Long-Term Contracts –Grievance resolution based on legalistic contract language –Focus on servicing existing union membership -- Cooperative relationship with employers -- Distance from the Rank and File -- Antiradicalism Type of Person: Bureaucrat or Strongman Bureaucrat or StrongmanSymbolic Unions as “special interests” Unions as “special interests”

Labor and the Cold War Funded by USIA USAID American Institute for Free labor Development in Latin America (AIFLD), Asia-American Free Labor Institute African American Labor Center National Endowment for Democracy Labor, Business, Republican and Democratic Parties In the 1980s, roughly half of the AFL-CIO’s budget came from the state department.

Intervention Guatemala 1954 Guatemala 1954 Chile 1973 Chile 1973 Central America 1980s Central America 1980s Kissinger-Kirkland Kissinger-Kirkland South Africa Buthelezi, South Africa Buthelezi, –Attempts to undercut anti apartheid Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the rest of the liberation movement. Solidarity Poland Solidarity Poland Support for conservative, sometimes pro-business unions Support for conservative, sometimes pro-business unions Attempts to undercut their more leftist rivals Attempts to undercut their more leftist rivals

What happened? Employee Based Welfare State Employee Based Welfare State Globalization Globalization Corporate Counter Attack Corporate Counter Attack

The unsustainability of the private welfare state: Healthcare cost per vehicle

Globalization U.S.--from international trade went from 9% to 25% of U.S. GNP Foreign Direct Investment from 5% of U.S. GDP in 1970 to 30% in 2000

10,000 Pontiac LeMans Early 1990s 3,000 to South Korea for labor and assembly 1,750 to Japan for advanced components 750 to Germany for styling and design engineering 400 to Taiwan for “small components” 250 to Britain for advertising and marketing services 50 to Ireland and Barbados for data processing Leaving about 3,800 to U.S inputs

Impact of Globalization Exit and Threat of Exit Exit and Threat of Exit Maytag Galesburg Maytag Galesburg Heightened competition Investors finally got news from Maytag that they can cheer today: The home appliance maker said it was going to close a facility in Galesburg Illinois and lay off 1,600 workers, or about 8% of its total staff. The announcement sent shares of Maytag soaring by more than 7%. What Wall Street liked is that Maytag is finally moving its production to a low cost country....

Corporate Counterattack Number of Decertification Elections Number of Decertification Elections Number of Labor Violations Number of Labor Violations , , , , , ,000 Number Fired for Union Activity Number Fired for Union Activity , , , , , ,000

Social Movement Unionism 1. Organize from the bottom up 1. Organize from the bottom up 2. Rely on Corporate Campaigns 2. Rely on Corporate Campaigns 3. Willing to look beyond routine NLRB path to recognition 3. Willing to look beyond routine NLRB path to recognition 4. Strong Orientation to Social Justice 4. Strong Orientation to Social Justice 5. Creative and Innovative in Style 5. Creative and Innovative in Style 6. “Self-Expanding” Sees actions as part of a long term process 6. “Self-Expanding” Sees actions as part of a long term process What might this mean in practice? You are trying to organize janitors… What might this mean in practice? You are trying to organize janitors…