Political Action

Political Political ActionAction

Member Commitment Member Commitment and Participationand Participation

Public PolicyPublic Policy

Critical Factor Affecting Success of Critical Factor Affecting Success of American UnionsAmerican Unions

Political action influences public policyPolitical action influences public policy

Labor Movement united that labor Labor Movement united that labor organizations be involved in political organizations be involved in political processprocess

Less united in strategic plans to maximize Less united in strategic plans to maximize effectiveness in political processeffectiveness in political process

Political Action Political Action FocusFocus

Influence election outcomes Influence election outcomes

Support candidates that support unionSupport candidates that support union

Campaign against candidates opposed to Campaign against candidates opposed to unionunion

Shape public policy in legislative Shape public policy in legislative arena arena

Success proportionate to member Success proportionate to member participationparticipation

Member ParticipationMember Participation

Majority of members support Majority of members support political actionpolitical action

Significant minority don’t Significant minority don’t support political programsupport political program

Minority’s significant numbers Minority’s significant numbers can affect outcomecan affect outcome

Political attitudes shape Political attitudes shape political behaviorpolitical behavior

1952 Telegram

1952 Telegram

Influencing Influencing ParticipationParticipation

Provide member’s with relevant Provide member’s with relevant informationinformation

List major legislative accomplishmentsList major legislative accomplishments

Create political culture Create political culture

Provide evidence of peer support Provide evidence of peer support

Convince member participation makes Convince member participation makes differencedifference

Research Findings Research Findings

Commitment to union affects Commitment to union affects member’s beliefs member’s beliefs

Perception of union Perception of union instrumentality impactinstrumentality impact

Females more supportive Females more supportive

Union Member Commitment

Member Perception of

Union Instrumentality

Member Support for Union Involvement

Two Factors to Two Factors to SupportSupport

Early Exposure Early Exposure

New employees usually have some political New employees usually have some political orientationorientation

New employees will arrive at workplace with some New employees will arrive at workplace with some positions on issuespositions on issues

Unions should be cautious about early exposure to Unions should be cautious about early exposure to the union’s political agenda.the union’s political agenda.

Provide time and opportunity to demonstrate that Provide time and opportunity to demonstrate that union is effective in the workplaceunion is effective in the workplace

Specific discussion about political agenda can be Specific discussion about political agenda can be discussed laterdiscussed later

Support for Political Support for Political CandidatesCandidates

Union voters vote for endorsed candidates 15-Union voters vote for endorsed candidates 15-20% higher than non-union voters20% higher than non-union voters

Unfortunately union membership represents a Unfortunately union membership represents a small and diminishing percentage of the small and diminishing percentage of the electorateelectorate

There has been a gradual decline in union There has been a gradual decline in union member support for endorsed candidatesmember support for endorsed candidates

Many members are not aware of the unions Many members are not aware of the unions endorsementendorsement

If aware members often ignore endorsementIf aware members often ignore endorsement

Candidate SupportCandidate Support

Members vote for candidates that Members vote for candidates that support their issuessupport their issues

Attitude toward union affects member Attitude toward union affects member votevote

Positive attitude likely to support Positive attitude likely to support endorsementsendorsements

Member’s look to people (peers) they Member’s look to people (peers) they view positivelyview positively

Role of InformationRole of Information

Turnout grows as voters become Turnout grows as voters become more informedmore informed

Union focus on voter educationUnion focus on voter education

Voter information should not be Voter information should not be limited to a simple endorsement limited to a simple endorsement listlist

Candidates must be linked to Candidates must be linked to support for work place issuessupport for work place issues

Role of Normative Role of Normative BeliefsBeliefs

Individual voters are influenced by Individual voters are influenced by beliefs of people they trust (normative beliefs of people they trust (normative belief)belief)

Individuals committed to voting but lack Individuals committed to voting but lack sufficient information often follow the sufficient information often follow the advice of individual they trustadvice of individual they trust

Unions can maximize impact on union Unions can maximize impact on union voters by influencing normative beliefsvoters by influencing normative beliefs

Member Participation Member Participation FactorsFactors

1.1. Member believes the issues involved are Member believes the issues involved are important to their livesimportant to their lives

2.2. Member believes that their participation Member believes that their participation will make a differencewill make a difference

3.3. Member knows that opportunities to Member knows that opportunities to participate existparticipate exist

4.4. Member has the capacity to participateMember has the capacity to participate

Ten Rules for Union Political Ten Rules for Union Political ActionAction

Issues come first, candidates and parties second.Issues come first, candidates and parties second.

In election campaigns, unions need to provide In election campaigns, unions need to provide members with members with information information not voting instructions.not voting instructions.

Presenting information in a credible and Presenting information in a credible and objective manner is critical for overcoming objective manner is critical for overcoming members’ cynicism and distrust regarding members’ cynicism and distrust regarding politics.politics.

Unions must downplay partisan rhetoric in favor Unions must downplay partisan rhetoric in favor of stressing their role as an of stressing their role as an independent voice independent voice for working people.for working people.

Ten RulesTen Rules

Unions should be “watchdogs ” who approach Unions should be “watchdogs ” who approach politicians with healthy skepticism and politicians with healthy skepticism and work to hold them accountable.work to hold them accountable.

Members want unions to represent them as Members want unions to represent them as workers, by addressing issues that workers, by addressing issues that directly affect them on the job and by directly affect them on the job and by advancing a populist economic agenda.advancing a populist economic agenda.

Union political action should always be Union political action should always be of, by, and for the members.of, by, and for the members.

Ten Rules Ten Rules

Mobilization is not fundamentally different Mobilization is not fundamentally different from persuasion—informing members is also from persuasion—informing members is also key to increasing participation.key to increasing participation.

Members must be reached by modern Members must be reached by modern communication methodscommunication methods

Effectiveness is enhanced by addressing the Effectiveness is enhanced by addressing the concerns of specific union audiences, concerns of specific union audiences, instead of relying on a “one-size-fits-all” instead of relying on a “one-size-fits-all” approach.approach.

Source: Garin and Molyneux, 1998Not Your Father’s Union Anymore

ConclusionConclusion