Seizing an opportunity? Union organizing campaigns in Britain, Edmund Heery & Melanie Simms

Objectives  Policy opportunity Statutory recognition procedure & associated (seemingly) union-friendly public policy  Union response Greenfield organizing campaigns (no bargaining)  Targets, objectives, resources, methods, messages, issues, employer responses, outcomes  Research Survey of 140 campaigns from 21 unions  Collection mainly through Organizing Academy  Data not statistically representative  Prior union presence in 50% cases  Most campaigns (87%) on-going at time of survey

Targets – table 1  Scale Single workplace, several hundred workers in medium-sized organizations  Sector Disproportionate emphasis on manufacturing  Occupation Relatively low skilled manual & non-manual workers  Worker characteristics Women workers – majority in 45% of campaigns

Objectives – table 2  Recruitment Establishing or growing membership  Organizing Identifying activists, forming a branch, and encouraging activist recruitment  Recognition Securing or strengthening a recognition agreement – especially manufacturing  Diversity Increasing diversity of membership & activism – especially where organizer female

Resources – table 3  Paid staff More than half have two or fewer Organizers typically work on more than one project  Activists Most involve fewer than 5 activists More activists where union established  Duration (note on-going campaigns) Most campaigns last less than six months Length of campaign increasing over time

Methods – table 4  Individual methods Widely used, relatively ineffective  Employer-supported methods Infrequently used, relatively effective  Face-to-face methods Widely used, relatively effective  Organizing methods Workplace organizing methods used widely and rated as effective Extra-workplace organizing methods rarely used and rated as ineffective Comprehensive campaigns rare – manufacturing, manual workers, no presence, securing recognition

Messages – table 5  Instrumental arguments Emphasis on collective benefit of membership  Collectivist arguments Emphasis on collective solidarity & power  Employer arguments Predominance of low-trust but not militancy  Rights arguments Emphasis on moral case for unionism – new language  Extended case Rarely made & when it is stress on occupation/industry  Diversity case Strong in a minority of campaigns

Issues – table 6  Dominance of traditional union functions Protection of employees Improving pay and hours of work  Less emphasis on ‘new agenda’ Human resource management: work organization, learning, appraisal Equality and anti-discrimination  Variation Occupational differences: professionals (HRM) v. manual workers (protection) Organizer choices: gender & equality

Responses – table 7  Hostility Prime response Encompasses both substitution & suppression Concerted opposition confined to a minority  Support Minority response Provision of resources to assist union  Variation Response relates to prior union presence Response co-varies with union methods  Organizing methods & traditional issues where hostile  Supported methods & new agenda where supportive

Outcomes – table 8  Membership Campaigns increased membership but typically at a modest scale; below 100 & 50%  Organizing Recruitment of activists, creation of committee, self-organizing & representation  Diversity Increase in women & minority members & activists in significant proportion of campaigns  Recognition Recognition achieved or strengthened in 20%

Pattern of outcomes – table 9 Recruitment: Size of target Activist involvement Male organizer Partnership-oriented Organizing: Activist involvement Male organizer Gender-oriented Partnership-oriented Organizing model Gender outcomes Sales workers Women workers Woman organizer Lack of partnership Lack of organizing model Recognition: Prior absence of union Lay involvement Employer support Partnership-oriented

Conclusion  Encouraging findings Innovation: techniques & language Outcomes: organizing & diversity  Disappointing findings Conservatism: scale, sector, resources Outcomes: membership growth modest; recognition infrequent  Variation Context: presence & response Methods: no single best approach Organisers: gender of organizer