Community Unionism: A Comparative Analysis of Concepts and Contexts

260 Pages·2009·0.661 MB·English

by  Jo McBride, Ian Greenwood (eds.)

Community Unionism
A Comparative Analysis of Concepts and
Contexts
Edited By
Jo McBride and Ian Greenwood
Community Unionism
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Community Unionism
A Comparative Analysis of Concepts and
Contexts
Edited By
Jo McBride
University of Bradford, UK
and
Ian Greenwood
Leeds University Business School, UK
© Jo McBride and Ian Greenwood 2009
Individual chapters © their respective authors 2009
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2009 978-0-230-57250-8
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,
Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors
of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2009 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke,
HampshireRG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries
ISBN 978-1-349-36421-3 ISBN 978-0-230-24218-0 (eBook)
DOI10.1057/9780230242180
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managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
Contents
List of Tables and Figures vii
List of Abbreviations viii
Notes on Contributors x
Acknowledgements xiii
Part I Understanding Community Unionism 1
Chapter 1 Introduction 3
Paul Stewart, Jo McBride, Ian Greenwood,
John Stirling, Jane Holgate, Amanda Tattersall,
Carol Stephenson and Dave Wray
Part II Communities and Community Unionism in 21
the UK
Chapter 2 Now That the Work is Done: Community 23
Unionism in a Post-Industrial Context
Carol Stephenson and Dave Wray
Chapter 3 Contested Terrain: London’s Living Wage 49
Campaign and the Tensions Between
Community and Union Organising
Jane Holgate
Chapter 4 Strategies in Search of Structures: The Real World 75
of Community Unionism in Relation to Black and
Minority Ethnic Communities
Miguel Martínez Lucio and Robert Perrett
Chapter 5 Polish Migrant Workers in the North – 93
New Communities, New Opportunities?
Ian Fitzgerald
v
vi Contents
Part III Comparative Studies of Community
Unionism 119
Chapter 6 Beyond Organised Labour in Japan – 121
The Case Study of the Japanese Community
Union Federation
Edson I. Urano and Paul Stewart
Chapter 7 Immigrant Workers and Labour/Community 139
Organisations in the United States
Kim Moody
Chapter 8 Using Their Sword of Justice: The NSW Teachers 161
Federation and its Campaigns for Public Education
Between 2001 and 2004
Amanda Tattersall
Chapter 9 Union Revitalisation and the Canadian Auto 187
Workers Union: Reconnecting Unions with
Local Communities
Iona Byford
Chapter 10 Conclusion 210
Ian Greenwood and Jo McBride
Bibliography 221
Index 233
List of Tables and Figures
Figures
1.1 The Three Interpretations of Community 8
6.1 Number of Employees, Unionised Employees and 132
Estimated Unionisation Rate in Japan
Tables
4.1 BME Group Organisational Objectives 81
6.1 Japan Community Union Federation Affiliates’ 134
Characteristics
7.1 Median Weekly Earnings: Foreign-born & Native-born 142
by Ethnicity in USA, 2005
7.2 Major Occupational Groups of Asians and Latinos 142
in USA, 2004
9.1 Contract Type and Length of Service at CAW 194
Workplaces
9.2 Joining the Union at CAW Workplaces 195
9.3 Union Participation at CAW Workplaces 196
9.4 Participation in Union Activities at CAW Workplaces 197
9.5 Union Activities and the Wider Community at CAW 198
Workplaces
9.6 Family and Individual Involvement in Unions, Political 200
Parties and Voluntary Associations at CAW Workplaces
9.7 Trade Union Identity at CAW Workplaces 201
9.8 Who Are You Likely to Blame for Problems at Work? 202
9.9 The Three Most Important Negotiating Issues 204
9.10 The Unions Approach to Union Activities at Work 204
vii
List of Abbreviations
AFL-CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of
Industrial Organisations
ALP Australian Labor Party
BFAWU Bakers Food & Allied Workers Union
BWFJ The Black Workers for Justice
BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics (USA)
BME Black and Minority Ethnic
BPCC British Polish Chamber of Commerce
CAAV Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence
CAB Citizens Advice Bureau
CAW Canadian Auto Workers Union
CBOs Community-based Organisers
CIW The Coalition of Immokolee Workers
Co. County
COF Citizens Organising Foundation
CSO Central Statistical Office
CSWA Chinese Staff and Workers Association
CTCU Canadian Textile and Chemical Union
CUNN Community Union National Network
CU Community Unionism
DMA Durham Miners Association
DWU Domestic Workers Union
ESOL English for Speakers of Other Languages
EU European Union
EURES The European Job Mobility Portal
FLOC Farm Labour Organising Committee
FOSCO Federation of Community Organisations in Schools
GMB General Municipal and Boilermakers’ Union
HERE Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International
Union
I&DEA Improvement and Development Agency
IAF Industrial Areas Foundation
IRC Industrial Relations Commission
ISTC Iron and Steel Trades Confederation
JCUF Japanese Community Union Federation
viii
List of Abbreviations ix
LFEPA London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
LIUNA Laborers International Union of North America
MOT Ministry of Transport (UK assessment test for road
worthiness of vehicles)
NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement
NDP New Democratic Party
NEB National Executive Board
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
NSWIRC New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission
NSWTF New South Wales Teachers Federation
NUM National Union of Mineworkers
ONS Office for National Statistics (UK)
OTOC Omaha Together One Community
P&C Federation of Parents & Citizens
PEA Public Education Alliance
PEC Public Education Coalition
PCS Public and Commercial Services Union
PEL Paid Educational Leave
RBS Royal Bank of Scotland
RENGO The Japanese Trade Union Confederation
ROC Restaurant Opportunities Center
SEIU Service Employees International Union
SERTUC Southern and Eastern Region Trades Union Congress
SMJ Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan
SMU Social Movement Unionism
TAFE Technical and Further Education system
Telco The East London Communities Organisation
TGWU Transport and General Workers Union
TUC Trades Union Congress
UAW United Auto Workers (of America)
UCATT Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians
UCU University Colleges Union
UE United Electrical Workers
UFW United Farm Workers
UFCW United Food and Commercial Workers
UNITE Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees*
Usdaw Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
USDL United States Department of Labour
WRS Worker Registration Scheme
ZPWB Federation of Poles in Great Britain