Lecture 11.1

Unions and Collective Bargaining

Emmanuel Teitelbaum

What do Unions Do?

What is a Labor (Trade) Union?

An organization of workers who coordinate to improve their terms and conditions of employment
Areas of coordination
- Wages and benefits
- Working conditions
- Safety standards
- Rules governing termination and promotion
Collective bargaining
Strategic withdrawal of labor (strikes)

Trade Union Presence

Source: ILO, retrieved from Wikimedia Commons

Workplace Democracy

Workers’ councils
- Codetermination
Representation on company boards
- Parity of ownership
Worker ownership of means of production
- e.g. socialism
Muncipal socialism
Industrial unionism (Eugene Debbs)

Trade Union Philosophies

Select one leader
How did the leader you selected view unionism?
- What was its broader purposes?
- What goals would it achieve?
- Did the bio change your understanding of unions?

Union Organizing in America

A Paradox

Unions bring many benefits
71% of Americans approve of unions (Gallop)
But only 10% belong

Why is Union Organizing so Hard?

Case 1: Starbucks
Case 2: Amazon

What are some of the obstacles organizers face?
Why are many workers reluctant to join?

International Labor NGOs

Rana Plaza Collapse

Global Framework Agreements

Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety
- Mostly American companies
- Not legally binding
- Expired after five years, not renewed
Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh
- Mostly European companies
- Legally binding
- Renewed after 5 years but undermined by garment manufacturers in Bangladesh

Global Apparel Pricing

Bangladesh Pricing

Pricing and Labor Rights

Democracy

Trade unions in developing countries male-dominated
Tied to political parties
INGOs undemocratic, lack connection to workers

Discussion

How to improve unions?
- More effective response to globalization, automation
- Internal governance/democracy
- Success at organizing
What kind of role should unions have?
- In economic governance
- In politics
- In society