Projects per year
Abstract
Why are some unions unable to rebuild membership and bargaining coverage despite significant changes in strategy? We examine the trajectory of a key union in a vital sector, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, calling into question aspects of the union renewal literature. Much scholarship sees members’ associational power as a power resource that can cover the loss of other power resources, but we show that this assumption does not necessarily hold. To explain why members are not necessarily a resource in renewal, we argue that studies of renewal must more fully consider the interplay between different forms of power resources — institutional, structural and societal — and locate union strategies within that dynamic. Critically, this interplay also shapes members’ perceptions of their power, which may further limit a union's options as it responds to external threats.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 424-446 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | British Journal of Industrial Relations: an international journal of employment relations |
Volume | 58 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2020 |
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Dive into the research topics of 'Rethinking Power, Strategy and Renewal: Members and Unions in Crisis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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Engineering Service Work, Global Production Networks & Employment Relations in Australian Mining
Lambert, R., Todd, T., Ellem, B., Herod, A. & Thompson, G.
Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, Australian Research Council, Curtin University, University of Georgia, University of Sydney
1/01/13 → 30/06/17
Project: Research