Labor Unions, Partisan Coalitions, and Market Reforms in Latin America (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics)

Why do labor unions resist economic restructuring and adjustment policies in some countries and in some economic sectors while they submit in other cases? And why do some labor leaders fashion more creative and effective roles for labor unions? This book addresses these critical questions in an in-depth elegant comparative study of Argentina, Mexico, and Venezuela in the 1990s. In each case, the book studies both the role of national confederations as well as individual unions in specific economic sectors in each country. It demonstrates the importance of the presence and nature of alliances between political parties and labor unions as well as the significance of competition between labor unions for the representation of the same set of workers. This work opens new horizons for appreciating the intellectual and practical importance of the variation in the interactions between workers, unions, political parties, and economic policies. Due To Economic Crises, Labor Parties Followed Economic Policies That Hurt Labor Unions During The 1990s, Such As Trade Liberalization And Privatization. This Book Explains Why Labor Unions Resisted On Some Occasions And Submitted On Others And What The Consequences Of Their Actions Were By Studying Three Countries: Argentina, Mexico, And Venezuela. The Comparison Between The Experiences Of The Three Countries And Five Different Sectors In Each Country Shows The Importance Of Politics In Explaining Labor Reactions And Their Effects On Economic Policies.--jacket. Unions' Dilemma : How To Survive Neoliberalism -- A Theory Of Union-government Interactions -- The Populist Past And Its Institutional Legacies -- A Tug Of War : Labor Unions And Market Reforms In Venezuela -- Divided We Rule : Labor Unions And Market Reforms In Mexico -- From Pickets To Prices : Labor Unions And Market Reforms In Argentina -- Multilevel Comparison -- Labor Competition And Partisan Coalitions. Maria Victoria Murillo. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 205-235) And Index. In less than seven months, three men named Carlos assumed the presidencies in Mexico, Venezuela, and Argentina and produced the most important policy turnaround of the postwar era in these three countries.