Next Up: The Promise of AFL–CIO‐Affiliated Young Worker Groups

Abstract

In recent years, the American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL–CIO) has attempted to spur and support the development of young worker organizations as a way of engaging more young people in the labor movement. One result has been the growth of young worker groups affiliated with local AFL–CIO bodies. This article summarizes the findings of our team of researchers who worked with the AFL–CIO to document and evaluate the most developed of these new young worker organizations. We explore the activities and character of these groups, the distinct contribution that they make to revive the American labor movement, and the challenges they face in continuing to grow and to spur similar groups across the country.

Would you like to become a union leader? Analysing leadership intentions through a generational lens

“…We favour a more precise and formal definition that considers local union leaders as those union members who hold an official, elected position within the union-ranging from union steward to executive council positions (president, vice president, treasurer, etc.). While we acknowledge that within the union informal leaders can supply the creativity, knowledge, experience and social ties necessary for union renewal (Boris et al, 2013), in this study we focus on formal leadership roles because they are foundational to the day-to-day operations of unions and can have a direct impact on the sustainability of the union movement (Gall & Fiorito, 2012). We define intention to undertake union workplace leadership as the aspiration to hold a formal position and engage in a particular series of leadership activities (Baker et al, 2016).…”

“…Some studies of union leadership use a general definition of the term leader, such as: ‘a leader is anyone who can organize people to get things done’ (Boris et al, 2013, p. 234). We favour a more precise and formal definition that considers local union leaders as those union members who hold an official, elected position within the union—ranging from union steward to executive council positions (president, vice president, treasurer, etc.).…”

Youth Labor in Transition: Inequalities, Mobility, and Policies in Europe

“…Finally, if unions want to help young workers develop agency in their working lives, effective internal structures for youth representation are also a necessity, insofar as they make unions more responsive to and knowledgeable about the aspirations, interests, and needs of young people (Vandaele 2012(Vandaele , 2015Bielski Boris et al 2013). Increasing unions' responsiveness toward young workers might help disprove the pessimistic stereotype that they are hostile to unions because of individualistic tendencies.…”