An Overview of US Workers’ Current Organizing Efforts and Collective Actions

Thomas A. Kochan; Janice R. Fine; Kate Bronfenbrenner; Suresh Naidu; Jacob Barnes; Yaminette Diaz-Linhart; John Kallas; Jeonghun Kim; Arrow Minster; Di Tong; Phela Townsend; Danielle Twiss

doi:10.1177/07308884231168793

An Overview of US Workers’ Current Organizing Efforts and Collective Actions

Thomas A. Kochan, Janice R. Fine, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Suresh Naidu, Jacob Barnes, Yaminette Diaz-Linhart, John Kallas, Jeonghun Kim, Arrow Minster, Di Tong, Phela Townsend, Danielle Twiss

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

American workers are currently engaged in an upsurge in collective actions aimed at achieving a stronger voice and representation at work; this desire for increased voice at work is also evident in survey data. However, union organizing drives in the United States typically meet with strong employer resistance, and such resistance reduces the likelihood that the organizing effort will be successful. In addition to unions, a broad array of other efforts has been initiated to strengthen worker voice and representation. The authors discuss these efforts, including worker centers, and observe that there is no “one size fits all” approach to contemporary worker organizing.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	335-350
Number of pages	16
Journal	Work and Occupations
Volume	50
Issue number	3
Early online date	Apr 12 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/07308884231168793
State	Published - Aug 2023
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

strikes
unions
worker centers
worker organizing
Worker voice

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sociology and Political Science
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Online availability

10.1177/07308884231168793

Library availability

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title = "An Overview of US Workers{\textquoteright} Current Organizing Efforts and Collective Actions",

abstract = "American workers are currently engaged in an upsurge in collective actions aimed at achieving a stronger voice and representation at work; this desire for increased voice at work is also evident in survey data. However, union organizing drives in the United States typically meet with strong employer resistance, and such resistance reduces the likelihood that the organizing effort will be successful. In addition to unions, a broad array of other efforts has been initiated to strengthen worker voice and representation. The authors discuss these efforts, including worker centers, and observe that there is no “one size fits all” approach to contemporary worker organizing.",

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author = "Kochan, {Thomas A.} and Fine, {Janice R.} and Kate Bronfenbrenner and Suresh Naidu and Jacob Barnes and Yaminette Diaz-Linhart and John Kallas and Jeonghun Kim and Arrow Minster and Di Tong and Phela Townsend and Danielle Twiss",

note = "The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Funding for this research was provided by the Ford Foundation, the WorkRise network at the Urban Institute, the Omidyar Network, the Hewlett Foundation and the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.",

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AU - Diaz-Linhart, Yaminette

AU - Kallas, John

AU - Kim, Jeonghun

AU - Minster, Arrow

AU - Tong, Di

AU - Townsend, Phela

AU - Twiss, Danielle

N1 - The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Funding for this research was provided by the Ford Foundation, the WorkRise network at the Urban Institute, the Omidyar Network, the Hewlett Foundation and the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research. The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

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An Overview of US Workers’ Current Organizing Efforts and Collective Actions

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Online availability

Library availability

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