Organizational Contexts for Union Renewal

Abstract

Résumé de l'articleCet article cherche à identifier les processus et les structures organisationnelles qui contribuent à l'intégration des identités chez les immigrants et à la promotion de leur participation démocratique au sein des syndicats. L'analyse empirique repose sur des observations ethnographiques menées auprès de quatre succursales du Syndicat international des employés de service (Service Employees International Union) des États-Unis qui ont lancé la campagne Justice pour les concierges (Justice for Janitors). Malgré le fait que les quatre syndicats locaux aient connu une certaine revitalisation externe du fait de cette campagne, le renouvellement interne fut le mieux réussi à Los Angeles, un peu moins à Washington DC, et assez réussi à Boston et Houston. Dans chacun des cas, nous examinons la relation entre les dimensions externes de revitalisation -efforts initiaux de mobilisation, pouvoir de négociation, et pouvoir politique -et les contextes organisationnels favorisant le renouvellement -structures formelles et informelles de participation −, ainsi que l'engagement des membres immigrants dans les activités syndicales. Bien que la littérature sur la revitalisation syndicale soutienne que le renouvellement syndical interne facilite la revitalisation externe, la manière dont la revitalisation externe affecte durablement le renouvellement interne n'a pas encore fait l'objet d'un examen approfondi. La plupart des études examinant la relation entre revitalisation interne et externe n'ont eu qu'une fenêtre relativement étroite d'observation se terminant typiquement avec la reconnaissance du syndicat; ainsi il nous manque une compréhension de la relation dynamique entre revitalisation interne et externe dans le temps. Nos résultats suggèrent que la revitalisation externe peut agir comme support au renouveau interne. Toutefois, la construction d'un puissant syndicat ne garantit pas automatiquement la participation démocratique, tout comme le renforcement du pouvoir économique à travers les fusions de syndicats locaux peut affaiblir les structures de représentation. Ces résultats confirment l'importance d'étudier la revitalisation en tant que processus plutôt que comme un résultat, un argument souvent mentionné pas les chercheurs, mais rarement mis en pratique. Organizational Contexts for Union Renewal Kyoung-Hee yuThere is both a lack of theoretical development as well as detailed empirical evidence on the organizational contexts that foster union renewal. Scholars have argued that the integration of social identities into unions and sustained 'lay' participation are key to renewal. This article seeks to identify organizational structures and processes that contribute to incorporating immigrant identities and fostering democratic participation in unions. Empirical analysis is based on ethnographic observations conducted in four local branches within the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of the USA that underwent the Justice for Janitors campaign. The approach taken treats union renewal as a co...

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