Turner 2003

Lowell Turner “Reviving the Labor Movement:  A Comparative Perspective”, p. 23-58

in Cornfield, Daniel B, and Holly J. McCammon. 2003. Labor Revitalization: Global Perspectives and New Initiatives. Amsterdam: JAI.

1. “Periods of protest and mass demonstration are followed by quieter, usually longer periods of institutional consolidation” (23)
2. Central argument:  Periods of popular protest, including rank and file mobilization and broad coalition building, are necessary for the revitalization of labor movements (24)
1. contradicts the “too much democracy” thesis (crozier, huntington, watanuke 1975)
2. institutions stagnate over time
3. mobilization refreshes/ revitalizes institutions
4. institutions themselves can reduce incentives for mobilization (see Germany!)
5. causal lines between institutions and social movements run both ways
3. employers and the state play a central role in shaping the prospects for for workplace representation
4. by 1980s, unions realized firm level initiatives were too insignificant to reverse decline
5. UK example
1. origins in trade unions, like US
2. 1960s social movements revitalized unions
1. unions participated in anti-war movements
2. unions radicalized a bit
3. unions have great political power in 1970s, elect a number of Labour governments
4. why, then, did UK unions suffer so many defeats?
1. weak institutionalization, decentralized structure...
2. which led to over-reliance on mobilization (shopfloor steward as locus of power)...
3. which in turn decreases when economy got bad
5. NOW, working more with government, legislation, social partnership efforts
1. BUT for this to work need to
1. be able to mobilize still
2. organize new workers
3. go international as well
6. GERMANY
1. Revitalization in 1960s because
1. grew to dominate works councils, even though these were meant to weaken unions
2. 1960s social movements
1. by 1970s students were actually in unions, with jobs
3. periodic, large-scale mobilization
2. BUT today, they are not organizing the unorganized
3. German unions are almost TOO institutionalized, too embeded in the political economy of the nation
7. US
1. business unionism replaced social movement unions, unions became service providers
2. Did not align with social movements
1. too focused on bread and butter, internal demands
2. too worried about anti-communism
3. some exceptions, like AFSCME in Memphis, and UAW
8. Social movement mobilization and power can be used to boost labor union power
9. institutions and institutionalization can strengthen movements and prepare for their long-term survival, but it can also harm movements, restrict them