Welcome to my blog for International Employment Relations!
I hope you enjoy reading my fortnightly posts, and comments of any sorts are welcome :)
My first post looks at labour movements in the age of globalisation, where I have looked specifically at the effect of globalisation on unions in the United States.
The rise of globalisation has
effectively meant a decrease in union activity and therefore, in union power. Some
of the key reasons for the decline in union density can be attributed to
factors that are associated to globalisation including:
- Government policies: anti-union labour laws had made it
harder for unions to recruit, bargain & represent workers.
-Neo-liberal restructuring: the rise of
non-standard forms of employment such as part time and casual work (in the past,
unions did not recruit part time/casual workers normally). This meant unions
were neglecting a large demographic within the workforce.
-Employers were against unions and
substitute strategies (alternative voice mechanisms) which led to management
occasionally undertaking non-union activities to remove/marginalise unions.
However recently unions have made an
effort to fight back and regain their position within employment relations. In
regards to this cartoon in particular, it looks at the effect of globalisation
in America and how it benefitted certain parties but disadvantaged others. In
particular, middle-class US workers and workers abroad were among those that
suffered the most.
Within the article attached at the
bottom of this post, it is said that unions do in fact recognise the important
role of free trade within the global economy; however they also recognise that
if it not ‘properly regulated, it will continue to spiral out of control and
worsen the labour situation’.
In an attempt to combat this, unions had
adopted a new approach which saw the need for expanding and joining together
union forces in order to protect offshore workers. They believe that this will
in turn, help regain control over the rapid loss of jobs that is occurring within
the US. In order words, by focusing on protecting foreign workers they hope to
achieve greater protection for both American and foreign labour. Ultimately, by
doing so they hope to increase their power which will strengthen their ability
to combat the issues that workers face which can be accounted for by the rise
of globalisation.
Although this is an older post from
2009, I believe it is still relevant as unions continue to face obstacles in
regaining their status and position within employment relations. However I do
believe one of the key factors needed for unions to overcome this is the need
for unions across the globe to unite and stand together, and to work with globalisation rather
than to try fight it.
For anyone that wants the link to the article for any background information: http://overflow.umwblogs.org/labor-and-globalization/
Hello Sian! I liked your article, congrats. Based on everything I've learned in previous Employment Relations units (such as Australian Employment Relation and Negotiation: Theory and Practice), I agree with everything you say in the article. Nevertheless in matter of this 'commenting exercise' for this unit, I would like to add that the unions are indeed loosing members density due to neoliberalism, globalization, de-regulation policies, etc but these union movements are now (aqnd have been) fighting its way into government, at least focusing specifically on Australia. A great example for this is, indeed, the Labour movement that came into power with Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard they both campaigned very strongly in favor of the unions movements with their motto of ‘bringing back decency in Australia’s workplaces’ and introducing Fair Work Australia which in my opinion is much friendlier to unions than the previous Workplace Relations act or also known as: ‘Workchoices’. A video that exemplifies this good is this one, please note how harsh she is against John Howard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUETnIlbNpo I’ve missed all tutes (due to sport competitions but hope this comment is alright…) Best regards, Alex Zimmermann (21273274).
ReplyDeleteHi Sian,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog post, and I think that the decline in union power is an interesting topic to touch on. Your cartoon summed it up perfectly, and the problems unions face are not limited to the US, so it’s quite a worrying issue. I think that unions have an integral function in employment relations, and are especially important in these times of globalization. Just look at some of the arguments against globalization, such as the exploitation of labour in developing countries! I thought that it was great that you began with the reasons why globalization hinders the power and density of unions are without first understanding those issues, it is difficult to try and rectify, or nullify, those problems.
The issue of the labour market becoming more casual-oriented is particularly interesting because it shows the dynamic nature of business and the fact that unions are finding it difficult to adapt to these changing times, which is a real flaw. I believe it is time for them to become more flexible, and as you said, to stand together. As much as some management may feel unions act as an obstacle to business, as your cartoon message suggests unions are an important tool and advocate for workers’ rights. If unions were to weaken or disappear as a result of globalization, it could have detrimental effects for our future and power distribution.
I agree with your argument for unions to consolidate their power by joining together and understanding that globalization is happening, so it is in their best interests to work with it rather than against it. Great added article as well, Sian, it was very interesting.
Hayley Rappa
21136393