On Different Planes : An Organizational Analysis of Cooperation and Conflict Among Airline Unions

David Walsh examines the historically insular unions in the airline industry, where the need for cooperation has been heightened in the era since deregulation. Guided by organizational theory, he analyzes extensive data on pairs of unions, coalitions, and the airline union network as a whole, finding a complex web of connections. Drawing on quantitative data from his network analysis, on the historical background, and on descriptive case studies, including the Eastern Airlines strike, Walsh identifies the possibilities and the limitations of labor solidarity. Contents Tables And Figures Abbreviations Acknowledgments Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Conceptualizing Inter-Union Relations: Constructing a Theoretical Framework Chapter 3. The U.S. Airline Industry as a Context for Inter-Union Relations Chapter 4. Inter-Union Relations in Historical Perspective Chapter 5. Interdependence and the Presence of Inter-Union Ties: A Quantitative Analysis of Union Pairs Chapter 6. The Structure of the Airline Union Network Chapter 7. Dynamics and Outcomes of Inter-Union Relations: Airline Unions in Coalition Chapter 8. Mobilizing the Airline Union Network: The Struggle at Eastern Airlines Conclusion Afterword Appendix 1. Survey of Inter-Union Relations Appendix 2. Categories Used in Constructing Interdependence Measures Appendix 3. Explanation of Analyses Notes References Index About The Author Guided by organizational theory, Walsh analyzes extensive data on pairs of unions, coalitions, and the airline union network as a whole. He finds a complex web of connections. Relations among unions in the airline industry, as elsewhere, are shaped by factors ranging from formal organizational affiliations and differences in crafts to resource inequalities and environmental threats. The ability of unions to improve the lives of workers, Walsh argues, may ultimately depend on the strength of ties across union organizational boundaries. And what is demonstrable for unions in the airline industry may prove true for the labor movement as a whole How do unions learn to get along with each other? What factors compel them to work together and what factors tend to prevent cooperation? How do inter-union activities affect labor relations outcomes? Changed and threatening circumstances have forced those committed to the labor movement in the United States to address these questions. David Walsh sets a model for the process with his examination of unions in the airline industry, where the need for cooperation has been heightened in the era since deregulation. While the airline industry has a high rate of unionization, tradition and formal structures have hindered ties between unions