Where is the Power in the Union? Survey of Social Movement and Union Power Theories

Catalog description

The adage “there is power in the union!” has been an important rallying cry for the labor movement. Yet scholars of the labor movement have often struggled to identify what this power actually is and where it comes from. This course offers a survey of social movement and union power theories to explore why and how unions win. The course is built around four dominant theories from sociology and ILR: resource mobilization, the political process model, the power resource approach, and strategic capacity. Movements covered in this exploration will include: the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, the United Farm Workers, the United Auto Workers, Justice for Janitors, and gig worker organizing, among others.