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. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 Abstract......Page 11 Acknowledgments......Page 13 List of Acronyms......Page 17 1 Unions’ Dilemma: How to Survive Neoliberalism......Page 21 Labor Politics and Market Transitions......Page 23 2 A Theory of Union-Government Interactions......Page 31 A Partisan Theory of Union-Government Interaction......Page 33 Leadership Competition......Page 35 Union Competition......Page 36 Labor-based Parties, Market Reforms, and Union-Government Interactions......Page 37 Research Design: A Multilevel Comparison......Page 40 3 The Populist Past and Its Institutional Legacies......Page 47 The Value of Political Alliances......Page 50 From Seduction to Engagement......Page 51 The Multiparty Democracy and the Venezuelan Union Movement......Page 53 The Institutionalized Revolution and the PRI Monopoly of Mexican Labor Unions......Page 59 The Legacy of Perón and the Argentine Unions......Page 65 The Legacies of the Alliance......Page 70 4 A Tug of War: Labor Unions and Market Reforms in Venezuela......Page 72 Pérez’s Administration (1989–93): The “Great Turnaround”......Page 76 The Policy Stimulus: Market Reforms......Page 78 Leadership Competition and CTV Opposition......Page 86 Sector-level Analysis: Introducing Variation within the Same Country......Page 92 Summary......Page 105 Conclusion and Epilogue......Page 106 5 Divided We Rule: Labor Unions and Market Reforms in Mexico......Page 112 The Salinas Administration (1988–94): The Neoliberal Revolution......Page 115 The Policy Stimulus: Market Reforms......Page 118 Union Competition and PRI Monopoly......Page 126 Sector-level Analysis: Introducing Variation within the Same Country......Page 130 Conclusion......Page 145 6 From Pickets to Prices: Labor Unions and Market Reforms in Argentina......Page 151 The First Menem Administration (1989–95): From Hyperinflation to Market Reforms......Page 154 The Policy Stimulus: Market Reforms......Page 157 Peronist Identity and Union Cooperation......Page 169 Sector-level Analysis: Introducing Variation within the Same Country......Page 172 Summary......Page 186 Conclusion......Page 187 7 Multilevel Comparison......Page 193 The Comparability of the Case Studies......Page 194 Comparing National Confederations......Page 196 Partisan Loyalties, Leadership Competition, and Union Competition......Page 200 Comparing Sector-specific Unions......Page 203 Telecommunications......Page 204 Electricity......Page 206 Oil......Page 207 Automobiles......Page 209 Education......Page 211 National Patterns......Page 212 Comparing Multilevel Case Studies......Page 213 8 Labor Competition and Partisan Coalitions......Page 216 The Role of Labor on the Bumpy Road to the Market......Page 219 Labor-party Alliances Beyond Market Reforms......Page 221 Bibliography......Page 225 Interviews......Page 257 Index......Page 263 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.