New unionism

New unionismis a term used to describe moves to broaden thetrade unionagenda. It has been used twice in the history of thelabor movement.Ben Tillettwas a prominent leader of theLondon Dock strike of 1889.He formed the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Laborers' Union in 1889, which had support from skilled workers. Its 30,000 members won an advance in wages and working conditions.^[1]^[2]^[3]

History

1880s

In theBritish trade union movementin the late 1880s, thenew unionsdiffered from the oldercraft unionsin several respects.^{[citation needed]}

They were generally less exclusive than craft unions and attempted to recruit a wider range of workers. To encourage more workers to join, the new unions kept their entrance fees and contributions at a relatively low level. Some new unions, such as theDockers' Unionand thegasworkersdeveloped in the direction ofgeneral unionism.
They recruited unskilled and semi-skilled workers, such as dockers, seamen, gasworkers and general laborers
At the outset, the new unions were associated with militancy and willingness to takeindustrial action,unlike the more conciliatory craft unions. Notable strikes associated were theLondon matchgirls strike of 1888and theLondon Dock Strike of 1889.
Many of the new unions had leaders who espousedsocialistideas. Such leaders includedTom Mann,Ben Tillett,Will Thorne,James Larkin,andJohn Burns.

Later, the traditional view of the new unions as militant, fighting unions informed by socialist politics was modified.^{[citation needed]}Although the new unions sponsored many large strikes in their early years, most, in fact, favored conciliation and accommodation. Similarly, although new union leaders espoused socialism, it was often of a moderate kind.^{[citation needed]}

The most prominent new unions were:

1980s–present

In 1988, US labour relations academicCharles HeckscherpublishedThe New Unionism: Employee Involvement in the Changing Corporation,^[4]one of a series of influential papers that encouraged the union movement to reconsider questions ofindustrial democracy.The UKTrades Union Congressran an ambitious new unionism project from 1997 to 2003, seeking to apply a dual strategy of organizing and partnership in an attempt to reinvigorate the movement. The decline in union membership ended, but the net effect is still subject to debate within the movement.^[5]

Unions such as theService Employees International Union(SEIU) in North America and thePublic Services Association(PSA) in New Zealand have combined innovative organizing and partnership combinations with notable success, leading to large and sustained membership gains (about 50% in each case) and increased influence and activism at workplace level.^{[citation needed]}^{[further explanation needed]}

An international new unionism network was launched in 2007 to bring unionists and labor supporters together around developing and applying these principles. The network provides fora and other resources for those interested in implementing the agenda.^{[citation needed]}^{[needs update]}

References

^Derek Matthews, "1889 and All That: New Views on the New Unionism."International Review of Social History36#1 (1991): 24-58
^Keith Laybourn,A History of British Trade Unionism(1992) pp 72-76
^A. E. P. Duffy, "New Unionism in Britain, 1889-1890: A Reappraisal,"Economic History Review(1961) 14#2 pp 306-319
^Jacoby, Sanford M.(1989). "Review ofThe New Unionism: Employee Involvement in the Changing Corporationby Charles C. Heckscher ".Industrial and Labor Relations Review.42(3): 463–465.ISSN 0019-7939.JSTOR 2523406.
^"new unionism".2011-06-04. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-04.Retrieved2022-07-04.

External links

New Unionism Network

History

1880s

1980s–present

References

External links

Further reading