Doublebreasted operations and the decline of construction unionism

Regulation as a cause of firm fragmentation:the case of the Spanish construction industry

“…Unions gradually started to impose working conditions on contractors, reducing the flexibility in working hours, salary, and labor mobility. Consequently, union contractors have begun to operate nonunion subsidiaries-called "double-breasted" operations-which has provoked a reduction in the market share of union contractors in favor of open-shop contractors [Northrup (1992[Northrup ( , 1995]. Although union labor relations are conducted under a legal framework that is not comparable to the Spanish legal framework, the economic interpretation of this reaction is almost the same.…”

Blacklisting and its legacy in the UK construction industry: employment relations in the aftermath of exposure of the Consulting Association

“…Double breasting identified by Dundon (), Cullinane et al . () and Dundon () will continue, not on the Northrup model () where non‐union sites are used to counter the costs of those that are unionised. Rather, larger and more significant sites will continue to have a union presence where public policy, key clients or lead contractors play a particular part in setting standards, for example on direct employment, and access for union officers to recruit.…”

“…A dual approach—known as double‐breasting—is sometimes used by multinationals where collective bargaining is in operation in one location whilst elsewhere trade unions are resisted (Beaumont and Harris, ; Cullinane et al ., and and Dundon et al ., 2015). Northrup () points to the ways in which such practices were deployed by US construction employers, using both approaches simultaneously for different sites (open and closed shop), with the intention of reducing the advantages and cost of the union mark‐up on the unionised site. Cullinane et al .…”

Subtle but deadly? union avoidance through “double breasting” among multinational companies

“…Such argued advantages have clearly proved attractive as American scholars have charted the increased use of double breasting arrangements in the US construction sector (cf. Northrup, 1995), its spill-over into neighboring Canada (Rose, 1986) and diffusion to other sectors of the US economy, notably manufacturing and transportation (cf. Edwards & Swaim, 1986).…”