Unions at the Crossroads : Strategic Membership, Financial, and Political Perspectives

This is a broad assessment of the institutional health of the 28 major national unions in the United States. The membership in the unions and the financial and political resources are examined specifically from 1979 through 1993. The focus on this era is because it contains the 1980s—a time when the unions were assailed from several positions. The fundamental idea in this work is that the resources of the union affect their capacities to undertake a variety of activities, and that the unions have a great deal of institutional strength which is likely to ensure their existence in the future. Contents......Page 8 Illustrations......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Abbreviations......Page 16 Introduction......Page 18 1 Strategic Perspectives on Union Resources: Human, Financial, and Political Capital......Page 38 2 Union Density and Membership......Page 60 3 Major Union Membership Trends......Page 80 4 The Financial Capital of Unions......Page 90 5 How Unions Raise and Spend Money......Page 106 6 The Financial Performance of Unions......Page 124 7 Union Political Capital and the Legal Enactment Strategy......Page 134 8 Union Profiles......Page 150 9 Baseline Union Budgets: Implications for Representational Services and Bargaining Clout......Page 158 10 Strategic Union Resource Allocations......Page 174 11 Union Growth Scenarios and Mergers......Page 190 12 Strategies for Union Growth......Page 202 13 The Future of U.S. Unions......Page 220 Bibliography......Page 226 C......Page 244 M......Page 245 U......Page 246 Contents 8 Illustrations 10 Acknowledgments 14 Abbreviations 16 Introduction 18 1 Strategic Perspectives on Union Resources: Human, Financial, and Political Capital 38 2 Union Density and Membership 60 3 Major Union Membership Trends 80 4 The Financial Capital of Unions 90 5 How Unions Raise and Spend Money 106 6 The Financial Performance of Unions 124 7 Union Political Capital and the Legal Enactment Strategy 134 8 Union Profiles 150 9 Baseline Union Budgets: Implications for Representational Services and Bargaining Clout 158 10 Strategic Union Resource Allocations 174 11 Union Growth Scenarios and Mergers 190 12 Strategies for Union Growth 202 13 The Future of U.S. Unions 220 Bibliography 226 Index 244 A 244 B 244 C 244 D 245 E 245 F 245 G 245 H 245 I 245 J 245 K 245 L 245 M 245 N 246 O 246 P 246 R 246 S 246 T 246 U 246 9781567201291 "The basic purpose of this book is to provide a uniquely broad assessment of the institutional health of the twenty-eight major national unions in the United States"--Page 10