An American Solution to an Irish Problem: A Consideration of the Material Conditions that Shape the Architecture of Union Organizing

John Geary and Sophie Gamwell
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John Geary: University College Dublin, Ireland
Sophie Gamwell: De Montfort University, UK

Work, Employment & Society, 2019, vol. 33, issue 2, 191-207

Abstract: New models of union organizing have become an important instrument of union growth and renewal. We examine the transfer of US-developed organizing practices to Ireland. We enquire whether the practical experiences of SIPTU can be considered successful. In particular, we focus on the question: in what way is the architecture of union organizing shaped by the material conditions that affect workers’ power? We look at three campaigns across three low-wage sectors (hotels, red meat processing and contract cleaning). The campaigns share a number of common properties, but differ in respect of the power resources available to employees and the shape of their outcomes. Using a most similar systems comparative research design, we identify a variety of causes which help explain the success and shape of the different organizing campaigns. Finally, we make a number of arguments in respect of how our findings link to debates about the future of trade unionism.

Keywords: Ireland; low-wage vulnerable workers; power resources; SIPTU; union organizing; union renewal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:woemps:v:33:y:2019:i:2:p:191-207

DOI: 10.1177/0950017016686024

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