Reconsidering Union Activism and Its Meaning

Abstract

Membership mobilization is widely regarded as critical for union revitalization. Estimates of the level of activism vary widely, and studies reveal puzzling inconsistencies between union members' beliefs and intentions. Drawing from Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour, we address both issues using a sample of faculty union members. Results show both consistency and discrepancy between summary self-reports of activism and specific participation behaviours, helping account for the widely varying estimates of activism levels found in other studies. Results also indicate an important role for perceived control, a factor rarely examined in prior research on activism.Are you an active member, the kind who would be missed? Or are you just contented, that your name is on the list? -Attributed to anonymous union member (Barling et al. 1992: 95)

The antecedents of union commitment and participation: evaluating moderation effects across unions

“…There is long‐standing and well‐established body of research on members' union commitment and their participation in union activities (Fiorito et al ., ; Gordon et al ., ; Snape et al ., ). A meta‐analysis identified members' union instrumentality, pro‐union attitudes, organisational commitment and job satisfaction as antecedents of union commitment, which was then associated with members' participation in union activities (Bamberger et al ., ) .…”

The consequences of dual and unilateral commitment to the organisation and union

“…There is now a sizeable literature on employees' commitment to their employer and to their union, with studies on the antecedents of organisational (Meyer et al, ; Klein et al, ) and union commitment (Bamberger et al, ; Monnot et al, ; Deery et al, ; Fiorito et al, ), and on the possibility of employees being dually committed to both (Reed et al, ; Cohen, ; Kim and Rowley, ; Robinson et al, ; Akoto, ). The findings suggest that, in spite of the possibility that commitment to employer and union might be considered as conflicting, dual loyalty is very common, particularly where the climate of employee relations is relatively harmonious.…”

Union Participation Through a Generational Cohort Lens: Improving Participation Across Cohorts

“…847) as "the behavioral involvement of members in the operation and activities of the union" is inexorably linked to unions' ability to survive, grow, and affect change. Unfortunately, there is substantially less agreement within the union literature on how this construct should be theorized and operationalized (Fiorito, Padavic and DeOrtentiis, 2015). This lack of definitional clarity has resulted in estimates of union participation which vary widely depending on how the construct is measured (Fiorito et al, 2015).…”

“…Unfortunately, there is substantially less agreement within the union literature on how this construct should be theorized and operationalized (Fiorito, Padavic and DeOrtentiis, 2015). This lack of definitional clarity has resulted in estimates of union participation which vary widely depending on how the construct is measured (Fiorito et al, 2015). Also problematic is the fact that most studies of union participation take an etic perspective (e.g.…”

“…In fact, our review of the extant literature in the area uncovered no examples of academic studies on union participation employing an emic perspective (i.e., research that takes the standpoint of the social group being studied). The lack of emic research in this area means that neither researchers nor practitioners are aware of how union members intellectualize the idea of participation and how this translates into action (Fiorito et al, 2015). Several factors led us to focus on generational cohort as a factor that could potentially impact how union members classify their union participation.…”