            
 |
|
|
The Twilight of the Old Unionism
|
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Comments/Reviews
Description: This controversial but well-documented and deftly argued study analyzes the present and future prospects for organized labor in the private sector. The book takes the decline and ultimate disappearance of old style labor unions -- not just in the United States but throughout the developed world -- as fact. The author views the Democratic political party as the future of a redefined union movement in the United States. He elaborates on the extent and reasons for the current decline of unions by addressing four vital questions: Can private-sector unions ever make a comeback? If organized labor cannot recover, what are the consequences for both unionized and non-unionized workers, for the economy, and for unionism itself? What is the experience of other countries, particularly Canada whose industrial relations parallels that of the United States? What explains the international decline of unions and the change in character of unionism?
Selected Contents:
Chapter 1. The Flow and Ebb of the Old Unionism
From Trough to Peak, 1933-1953
From Peak to Twilight Zone
The Profile of the Old Unionism
Rise of the New Unionism.
Chapter 2. Why Is the Old Unionism in the Twilight Zone?
Reasons
Structural Change-Economic
Public Employment-A Subset of the Shift From Goods to Services
Structural Change and Public Policy
Summary of Structural Change
Organizing the Unorganized: Employers' Opposition
Organizing the Unorganized: Employees' Opposition
Is There a Representation Gap?
Deindustrialization or Deunionization?
Chapter 3. Will There Be a Turnaround of the Old Unionism?
The Issues and the Answers
How to Revive the Old Unionism-According to the Unions and Their Supporters
Labor Law Reform
Chapter 4. The Brave New World of the American Labor Movement
Statistical Profile of the Brave New World of the Labor Movement
Are Municipal Collective Bargaining and Municipal Governance Compatible?: (1).The Bankruptcy of New York City, 1975; (2).The San Jose, California, School District Case, 1983; (3). The Philadelphia Story
Education, the Teachers' Unions, and the Living Wage
How Public Employees Became Organized
Characteristics of Local Bargaining
Conclusions: The Brave New World
Chapter 5. Is the Twilight Zone Unique to the United States?
Purposes
Is Canada an Exception Among G-7 Countries in the Decline of Private Unionism?
Two Models of Canadian Union Trends
Why the Canadian Experience is Important
Employers' Opposition
Chapter 6. Is the Democratic Party the Labor Party of the United States
Origin of the Argument
From Trade Union to Political Function
Determining the Value of the Unions' In-Kind Contribution
Can the Union Movement Sustain $400 Million of Political Expenditures?
What Services Do Unions Demand from the Democratic Party?
Should there be Campaign Finance Limitations on Unions?
Chapter 7. Conclusions
Review(s): Recommended. Labor studies collections, upper-division undergraduate through professional. Choice
... a refreshingly candid look at the data on union membership and density. ... rich in data without overwhelming the reader with numbers. ... Troy looks insightfully behind the numbers to tell a powerful story. ... a provocative and interesting book. It should be on everyone's shelf. The Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 46:4
... many of Troy's critiques of the contemporary labor movement are on target and deserve careful attention from researchers and practioners. Industrial and Labor Relations, Vol.58, No.2
    
|