Building Building Strong Strong UnionsUnions

Union ParticipationUnion Participation

Formal ParticipationFormal Participation

Regular Formal ActivityRegular Formal Activity

Holding union officeHolding union office

Serving on a committeeServing on a committee

Working on a political campaignWorking on a political campaign

Working on an organizing Working on an organizing committeecommittee

2

Intermittent FormalIntermittent Formal

Attending a union meetingAttending a union meeting

Voting for officersVoting for officers

Voting on the contractVoting on the contract

Walking a picket lineWalking a picket line

3

Informal ParticipationInformal Participation

Characterized as unstructured, Characterized as unstructured, supportive, informal activitiessupportive, informal activities

Speaking up in defense of unionSpeaking up in defense of union

Discussing contract with new hireDiscussing contract with new hire

Advising members how union helpsAdvising members how union helps

4

Union Citizenship Behaviors Union Citizenship Behaviors (UCB)(UCB)

Sum of Individual members’ informal Sum of Individual members’ informal participationparticipation

Significant impact on union effectivenessSignificant impact on union effectivenessUnions have greater success engaging Unions have greater success engaging

members in less formal types of members in less formal types of participationparticipation

Fewer barriers of associated qualificationFewer barriers of associated qualificationOften require less time commitmentOften require less time commitment

UCBUCB

Characteristics of the individualCharacteristics of the individual

Environment in which the individual Environment in which the individual operatesoperates

Member Participation is a form of Member Participation is a form of behaviorbehavior

Affected by attitude and/or beliefsAffected by attitude and/or beliefs

Member may choose not to Member may choose not to participateparticipate

Building a Strong Building a Strong Union Union

Focus on member attitudes and beliefsFocus on member attitudes and beliefs

Create an environment within unionCreate an environment within union

Encourages and rewards participation Encourages and rewards participation

Encourages and rewards support Encourages and rewards support

Encourages behavior that benefits the Encourages behavior that benefits the unionunion

Mod

el o

f Ind

ivid

ual

Mod

el o

f Ind

ivid

ual

Beh

avio

rB

eh

avio

r

8

Attitudes and BeliefsAttitudes and Beliefs

Individuals not born with attitudes Individuals not born with attitudes and beliefsand beliefs

Product of experiencesProduct of experiences

Information received from sourcesInformation received from sources

New experiences can reshape New experiences can reshape attitudeattitude

Foster new attitudesFoster new attitudes

Union Member CommitmentUnion Member Commitment

Most Satisfied – Positive Attitude – About Most Satisfied – Positive Attitude – About UnionUnion

Satisfied – most committed Satisfied – most committed

Union performanceUnion performance

Treatment by union officialsTreatment by union officials

Operation of grievance procedureOperation of grievance procedure

First year experience with union was positive First year experience with union was positive

Member Commitment Member Commitment

Four PartsFour Parts

Union LoyaltyUnion Loyalty

Responsibility to UnionResponsibility to Union

Willingness to work on behalf of UnionWillingness to work on behalf of Union

General belief in unionismGeneral belief in unionism

LoyaltyLoyalty

Reflects a high degree of loyaltyReflects a high degree of loyalty

Takes pride in association with unionTakes pride in association with union

Have clear awareness of benefits of Have clear awareness of benefits of membershipmembership

Responsibility to UnionResponsibility to Union

Recognize and be willing to fulfill Recognize and be willing to fulfill day-to-day obligationsday-to-day obligations

Keeping union members informedKeeping union members informed

Filing grievancesFiling grievances

Willingness to workWillingness to work

Serve as union officer Serve as union officer

Serve on negotiation committeeServe on negotiation committee

Serve as political action activistServe as political action activist

Coordinate internal organizing Coordinate internal organizing activitiesactivities

Belief in UnionismBelief in Unionism

Believes in unionism in generalBelieves in unionism in general

Deep seated positive attitude towards Deep seated positive attitude towards unionsunions

Strongly supports the unionsStrongly supports the unions

Actively and consistently participates Actively and consistently participates

Commitment and Commitment and ParticipationParticipation

Union commitment is an Union commitment is an attitudeattitude

Union participation is a Union participation is a behaviorbehavior

Commitment closely tied to attitudeCommitment closely tied to attitude

High level of commitmentHigh level of commitment

More likely to participateMore likely to participate

High levels of participation lead to more High levels of participation lead to more effective unioneffective union

Big Labor AttitudeBig Labor Attitude

View of union and union leadersView of union and union leaders

Self InterestedSelf Interested

Opposed to changeOpposed to change

AutocraticAutocratic

Opposed to changeOpposed to change

Overly focused on politicsOverly focused on politics

Describes

Does not

Unions play an important role in ensuring workers’ pay is fair and equitable

64%

31%

5%Don’t Know

Unions go too far in protecting workers who are incompetent or inefficient

Describes

Does not

Don’t know

57%

36%

7%

Source: USA Today labor “Workers Assess Conditions, Unions, Pay,” 1997

Specific Union Specific Union AttitudesAttitudes

Attitudes about specific union may differentAttitudes about specific union may different

Members’ view of their representative Members’ view of their representative unionunion

Grouped into three dimensionsGrouped into three dimensions

InstrumentalityInstrumentality

SatisfactionSatisfaction

Perceived union supportPerceived union support

General Attitudes about Unions

- Big Labor Image- Instrumentality

Specific Attitudes about Unions-Instrumentality

-Satisfaction-- Perceived Support

Member Commitme

ntAttitudes

Member Participati

onBehavior

Impact of Specific and General Attitudes on Union Commitment

Member Commitment

(Attitudes)

Union Environment

(Culture, Leadership)

Member Participati

on(Behavior)

Union Effectivene

ss

Model of Member Participation

Instructor’Instructor’s Closing s Closing

CommentsComments

Union ParticipationUnion Participation