Strike wave: a global shift
 In September the biggest strike in world history - involving about 100 million workers - was passed over for a Gainesville preacher who had threatened to burn a Koran. India and China are both experiencing phenomenal growth in labour activism. France, Portugal and Spain have been on the boil. In fact, by our reckoning, two thirds of the largest strikes of all time have happened in the last 10 years. Check out our list. Could it be that our mainstream media (not to mention the unions' own media) is missing something? more»
UnionBook 2.0
Join us and the good folk of LabourStart at UnionBook. This social networking bizzo is really rather good. And soon it may be really rather great. Check it out and join our New Unionism group here»
State of the Unions
 Here are our latest stats on the global union movement, along with country trends and reports on labour rights. Compiled with help from our growing team of national editors, this data confirms earlier reports (see below) of renewed growth in the union movement. more»
Which way global unions?
 The usual suspects are pretty much agreed: unions need to start organizing globally. They've tried a number of different approaches, some of them dating back more than a century. Are we there yet? How much further? Hell, will we even know it if we arrive? Perhaps the most conspicuous voice that has been missing from the conversation is that of working people themselves. Read up on the background and have your own say here»
Red Flag revisited
 Interested in labour history? Here's some cool trivia. It seems the old socialist anthem 'The Red Flag' is sung to the wrong tune. The lyrics were written in 1889 by Irish docker Jim Connell. The tune he had in his mind was 'The White Cockade' (listen). Later, a bloke called Adolphe Headingley substituted the German hymn 'Tannenbaum'. Connell was furious. "God forgive him, for I never shall." Connell's lyrics were inspired by the rise of New Unionism during the London dockers' strike. The tribute went broader though; it was also meant for those involved in the Paris Commune, Irish Land-Leaguers, Chicago anarchists and Russian nihilists. Broad left indeed! More to the point, it was meant as a lively reel, not a solemn dirge. Think Pogues, not Red Army Choir. There's a moral in there someplace.
Precariat meet'n'greet
 The New Unionists of the late 19th century built trade unions as we know them by organizing the proletariat – the working class of the day. Similarly, today’s new unionists are beginning to organize the precariat - workers without traditional employment security. To say this latter group represents the most rapidly growing sector in society entirely misses the point. The labour force has fundamentally changed. And according to many labour analysts, the real jolt is still to come: “Most of the full-time jobs lost in this recession won't come back. Most of the employees laid off in the past year won't find permanent work. When the statistics catch up to the reality, people will be forced to confront the new normal.” more»
Need some inspiration?
 We've put together a collection of snazzy quotes, facts and figures for union organizers. There's words of wisdom on organizing, workplace democracy and the future of work, as well as data on the union premium (the difference unions make to pay) and the representation gap (the gap between those who want to join a union and those who actually do). Browse»
Union membership
The accepted wisdom is that unions are in decline. The last comprehensive study was done by the ILO, back in the days when Princess Diana was still alive. No update is planned. Abhoring vaccuums as we do, we've been collecting data and trying to update the story. We now have post-2000 data for 444 national union centres - which includes by far the majority of the world's unionised workers. In 51% of these cases we also found comparable data from other years. This has enabled us to start measuring trends. The graph below tells the story(updated from 2007). It's not one you will hear in the media. Strangely enough, you won't hear it from many unions either. You can find out more, and check the data for yourself (including links to all the sources), here»
Change in union membership
by national federation 2000-2007
We were so surprised by the result above that we checked it against the membership figures by country. We found post-2000 data for 107 countries (of a possible 194) with comparable data for 57% of them. The graph below speaks for itself. Unionists - we salute you! Contrary to the dominant narrative, unionism seems to be growing again. But don't take our word for it; click here» for the details, and for links to all of our sources. And if you know of any better information, please share it!
Change in union membership
by country 2000-2007
We are now beginning a third study, measuring post-2000 membership trends at individual union level. So far we have 5500+ unions (excluding locals, regional-based and single-employer unions). You can follow our progress and help us build the data set by way of our global union directory project here»
Networking 4 unionists
 How many of these words are familiar? Ning, iGoogle, meebo, polldaddy, Skype, reddit, Usenet, wikispaces, ChipIn, bebo? More to the point, how many of these social media tools might be useful for union organizing? We've bounced it around a bit and come up with some ratings and simple descriptions. Cos, quite frankly, this stuff doesn't come naturally. more»
Union values survey
 Everybody knows - roughly speaking - what unions are opposed to. But what are we in favour of? What values should the union movement be asserting? As part of our ongoing discussion on this subject, the New Unionism network has been running a survey of union values. You can check out the results and add your own voice here»
Unionism meets workplace democracy
 An informal coalition of U.K. unions and thinktanks has produced an important new thinkpiece on workplace democracy. If this agenda is new to you, then here's a great introduction. Don't worry about the British/European focus - there's enough food for thought here for anybody who thinks their workplace needs a deep shake-up. Some members of this network felt there were limits to the report, but all were agreed: if you're interested in understanding the trajectory of New Unionism, read this report! download»
Bureaucratism:
Labour's enemy within
 Where does bureaucratism in the union movement come from? More to the point, how do we get rid of it? In an attempt to answer this question we speak with Dan Gallin, Chair of the Global Labour Institute. more»
Relational organizing
 Relational organizing is an approach which sits equally well with trade unionists, community activists, and faith-based networkers. What these enthusiasts describe seems to be a variant on the organizing model, but with much heavier emphasis on building dynamic relationships within the group. As one organizer, who has used this approach with spectacular results, puts it: "This is about us, not them". If you're a union organizer then take some time to read this discussion; it may just change everything. Click here»
Valuing member$hip
 Can we calculate an actual value, in blunt financial terms, for union membership? In this discussion we look at the difference between union-pay and non-union pay (generally known as "the union premium") in 20 countries. We also look at some of the oddities involved in the math. In weighing the benefits of union membership, be prepared to think outside the market square. more»
Old new unionism
 There have been two movements in labor history known as "New Unionism", and they are closely related. The first began in the 1880s, as craft-based structures gave way to industrial unions. The new leaders argued that unions had to become more open and inclusive. Membership grew rapidly, and the results these early unions achieved were inspiring. Then came labor's "great split" in 1920, as three competing ideologies drove bureaucratism deep into unionism's soul. These divisions were to last until the end of the century, and their echoes are still plainly heard. But are we now picking up where those early new unionists left off? more»
Workplace democracy and class
 Workplace democracy is being touted as the way forward by unionists, entrepreneurs and employers, yet governments are not picking up on the agenda. Why not? Recent work by US academic Ed Collom might suggest an answer. Collom's research confirms that there is "cross-class support" for the approach, but finds "inter-class" divisions within this. It seems some of us have eked out a few priveleges above others in the same class, and want to retain them. Among workers, union members support the idea more than non-members. Among employers, young entrepreneurs support it more than older managers. The self-empoyed, women, people of colour, and lower-paid workers are supportive; while those with conservative leanings or higher incomes are less so. Public service workers are supportive, as are professional and technical workers. Managers and supervisors are less so. Might these divisions suggest why governments are acting like the proverbial ostrich? "Hmmmm... I know I left my too-hard basket down there somewhere". download report»
Solidarity Idol
 Get Up, Stand Up by Bob Marley and the Wailers has won our readers' poll for best workers' song of the last 50 years. Union conferences need never be the same again!
Your next 4 choices in the poll were:
2. There is Power in a Union (Billy Bragg)
3. Between the Wars (Billy Bragg)
4. Fight the Power (Public Enemy)
5. None of Us are Free (Solomon Burke and the Blind Boys of Alabama).
As for Solidarity Idol, our hunt for an original new workers' anthem, the search continues. We've received nine entries so far. You can download these and/or add your own contribution here.
Happier measures
 Economies work around "bottom lines" - measures of success which traditionally centre around production. However, most agree that the GDP measure is deeply flawed (details). A recent survey in the UK found that 81% thought the primary objective should be the creation of happiness, rather than wealth. Is such a measure possible? Short answer: yes. In fact you can take your pick of alternative measures. "Triple Bottom Line" (TBL) accounting is very popular in ethical business circles. It balances the books according to people, planet and profit. Another good one is the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), which measures advances in well-being. Several steps further down the road one finds Bhutan, the tiny kingdom where economics is measured by "Gross National Happiness" (GNH). Them there's the "Happy Planet Index" (HPI), which measures how successfully countries turn resources into long and happy lives. You can sit your own personal HPI test here. And last but not least, there's the "Satisfaction with Life" index (SWL). So what's the bottom line in all this? Economics is an art, not a science. The principles, rules and measures are negotiable.
Flexicurity
 Flexicurity is a combination of an active labour market policy (at government level); relatively easy hiring and firing (for employers); and high benefits for the unemployed (providing security for employees). The aim is to reduce social fears of change. It was first implemented in Denmark in the 1990s, and then spread to Finland and the Netherlands. It is currently generating a lot of interest across Europe, and also within the ILO. What do the "social partners" make of it? Here's a good introduction to the discussion: more»
Don't be fooled again
 "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." Most CEO's are in the job for less than 3 years. This statistic is remarkably consistent across developed countries (more). It goes a long way towards explaining the short-termism of modern management. Which in turn played a huge part in creating the financial crisis. Many CEOs never declare the clear conflict of interest they face: ie quick results are great for their CV. They get to move on, with a bonus at one end and a pay rise, irrespective of the long term effects on the company. A round of layoffs is the classic device. Yes, evidence shows this will damage the company in the long term, but hell... they're long gone by then. One solution is for employees to have a voice in shareholder meeting, performance appraisal and succession planning. This latter is what LIUNA's pension plan is proposing (more). Another is for workers' pension funds, estimated at about one-third of the world’s total share capital (more), to be used to promote responsible governance. With the Board representing shareholders (including pension funds) and the union representing employees, might we see a challenge to the CEO's hidden conflict of interest?
Mondo laboro bizarro
 In searching global union membership statistics we have found clear evidence that unionism is a secret plot devised by Monty Python. Take a look at some of these examples, and reflect upon the toils of the poor workers who have to sort this mess out! more»
Workplace culture:
a union issue
 Depression, stress and anxiety are now the primary cause of workplace absence in most developed countries. It used to be back injury. This reflects changes in the nature and culture of work, and represents a major challenge for Health and Safety reps. How do unions change workplace cultures? It is an urgent issue. Japan and China both have a word for death by overwork (karoshi and guolaosi). In the USA more than 65 million suffer from the symptoms of stress. 80% of workers saying they feel stress on the job; nearly half saying they need help in learning how to manage stress; and 42% saying their co-workers need such help. Depression costs U.S. business at least $44 billion a year. 420,000 such cases are reported in the UK each year. “This is a really important area where unions can become more active,” says UK unionlearn representative Dave Eva, in announcing a joint programme to send workplace reps on 3-day training courses to learn about handling the problem from a union angle. We hope to report more on this soon. more»
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Members' Blog
Guidelines»
Dial 1-800-My-UNION?
How do we optimise communications between union members and union staff? Over the past few years many larger unions have experimented with call centers. Here's an excerpt from member Steve Early’s forthcoming book "The Civil Wars in U.S. Labour — Birth of a New Workers’ Movement or Death Throes of The Old?", which explores call center servicing through a Service Employees' International Union experiment. Critics feared that stewards and shop floor activists were being undermined by “Member Resource Centers”. Was the call center facilitating relationship-building or acting as a poor substitute? No matter what your feelings are about the Change to Win split, there's a lot to be learned from this analysis of the SEIU experience. more»
Tax havens and globalisation
 In light of the global economic crisis, many in the labour movement have been supporting fundamental reform of taxation systems, as an alternative to public spending cuts. The campaign for 'tax justice' has, at its heart, the reform of the tax havens. These have grown dramatically in recent decades and attracted the critical attention of many NGOs and academic researchers. Foremost amongst these is the 'Tax Justice Network' (TJN), which provides much of the intellectual ammunition for Tax Havens - how globalization really works. Network member Richie Leitch reviews the book for us here»
Fifth International, eh?
 Ever since the industrial revolution, working people and their allies on the left have been trying to set up a viable international organisation. However, tensions between the two groups (they're not the same!) have led to unpredictable difficulties, reckons Peter Hall-Jones. These were especially apparent during the two world wars; Stalin’s ‘cult of personality’; the Cold War; and the earlier days of the globalisation of work. Arguably, the history of the various Internationals has been one of increasing alienation between the working class and those on the left who claim to be their champions. In fact, until fairly recently the idea of a credible International seemed more remote than ever before. However, the financial crisis and the revolution in communications seem to be changing the landscape. Here’s a (very) quick potted history of the first four Internationals, along with some recent goss that suggests that a Fifth International may be on the way. Interesting times, indeed. Or not. Depends, really. more»
European unions after the crisis
 If nothing else, the financial meltdown has helped to demystify economics. Current moves towards increased regulation can only assist in the process. They may also offer a range of new opportunities for influence. In this closely-reasoned analysis, Roland Erne argues for the the primacy of society over the economic system. However, we need to be careful: "...it would be wrong to perceive radical and pragmatic action repertoires as mutually exclusive... Transformative counter-movements will only be able to mobilise people if they are able to propel concrete improvements as well as a “reasoned utopia” ...the democratic control of labour, land, and money markets..." download»
Democratising work and unions
 The last two decades have seen the rise of ‘managerialism’ – the belief that management is a science, a toolbox of technical skills which can be taught and applied like a fusion between economics and engineering. The standard bearers of managerialism were the MBAs: “that swollen class of jargon-spewing, value-destroying financiers and consultants (who) have done more than any other group of people to create the economic misery we find ourselves in”. (And that’s one of them speaking!) We need a new model for management. In this interview we speak to Alex Twigg, who has some cool ideas on the subject. more»
Leading-ship:
Changing deeper structures @work
 Rune Kvist Olsen discusses the roots and historical development of 'leadership' in management, and all this implies for the shaping of relationships at work. Consultative or not, leadership implies a vertical hierarchy. Olsen has a participative, horizontal model that he recommends as an alternative model. He calls it "leading-ship". more»
Labor lit in the USA
 Steve Early surveys recent history and trends within US labor publishing, and finds solid grounds for optimism. “…more shop stewards, local officers, and union staffers realize they need to think critically and analytically about the big picture in their occupation, industry, and society.” Whether you’re a reader or a writer (and he’s both), this article is a great introduction to what’s what in US labor literature. more»
Organizing:
the
Arts and Sciences
 Organizing, yes, but for what? Richard Moser presents an intriguing summary of the current state of work and unionism in the US. He argues that unions have tended towards an organizational culture which resists change and is unaccustomed to democracy. He traces the evolution of this process, mapping it against changes in work and society. Unions must develop a culture of organizing if they are to renew their influence and reconnect with their members. He then presents recommendations on organizing, exploring the contradictory but creative tensions that animate union activity. These are the challenges faced by those who want to put the movement back into labor. more»
One big union in Denmark?
 "The best strategy for the trade union movement would be to concentrate our energies into one single union." With these words Poul Christensen, general secretary of Denmark's largest union, has launched a radical proposal for union reform. "Let us start a debate on the development of the trade union movement. It is my vision that we, in the coming years, should work towards amalgamating... into one large single union..." Michael Keil has kindly provided this translation from Christensen's article from the Danish newspaper "Politiken". more»
No regulation without representation
To what extent does the struggle for workplace democracy overlap with the struggle for human rights? In this interview we speak with Roy Adams, one of the world's leading figures in the field of labour rights, founding member and chair of the Society for the Promotion of Human Rights in Employment, and member of the International Labour Rights Commission. more»
A union theory of management
 Nobody has more experience with poor management, in all its forms, than trade unions. What have we learned, and what model should we be arguing for instead? Unionists and labor academics within the network are invited to submit papers on this theme, with an aim to publication here, and in our newsletter, and also (we hope) in a forthcoming book. Email editor@newunionism.net for details.
Beyond hierarchy
Conor Cradden takes a good hard look at organisational hierarchy and 'management's right to manage'. In doing so, he launches our new discussion series: 'Towards a Union Theory of Management' (see above). more»
Organizing meets social partnership
 Eddy Stam and Ron Meyer are experienced unionists from the Netherlands. One is a seasoned veteran, now working at international level, the other a determined young organizer working with the rank and file. They're good friends, and they're pretty much agreed: the European model of social partnership unionism has a lot to learn from the organizing model of the Americas. Interview»
High performance workplaces
 Max Ogden reports on some interesting work New Zealand unions are doing around the concept of “high performance workplaces”. In short, they are seeking to raise the quality of work against a backdrop of improved performance. Furthermore, they want to embed the process in collective negotiations. You can read more about the approach here» and/or download the handbook for unionists here»
Parecon and union revitalisation
 Mark Evans discusses the historical roots of the identity crisis in unionism, and considers the value of an approach based on "participatory economics", or ParEcon—an alternative developed by radical economists Michael Albert and Robin Hahnel. more»
Organizing: Beyond fear and anger
 Peter Hall-Jones questions the view that unions exist purely to bargain for higher pay and protection. It is a model of unionism that has been in steady decline since the 1950s. Fear and anger are dubious drivers for organizing, now that workers have their sights set higher. more»
Workplace democracy
 Conor Cradden takes an innovative look at the case for workplace democracy, starting right from the beginning. In doing so he considers how such a goal might tie in with a broader social agenda: that of democratising economics itself. Click here» for the web version or here» to download a copy of the paper (MS Word).
Innovative trade union strategies
Dirk Kloosterboer, writing for The Netherlands Trade Union Confederation FNV, has produced a great booklet on how unions are responding internationally to changes in labour and production. It's a wide-ranging and genuinely open-minded investigation, and deserves to be read by anybody who's interested in contemporary union practice. Printed copies can be ordered through info@vc.fnv.nl (15€ plus p&p), or a PDF version can be downloaded here»
Young people and unionism
Jodie Schluter looks at the relationship between young people and unions. All those meetings, workshops, sub-committees, forums, quotas, caucuses and motions... why is it that the young are still not flocking to join up?? Irony aside, this open discussion presents the issue through the eyes of young people themselves, including those working successfully in the field (as well as a few left-field gonks). more»
The master-servant relationship
 Peter Hall-Jones asks: "Why do we defer from 9-to-5?" In trying to explain this behaviour he looks at the "master-servant relationship" which haunts the workplace and industrial relations. It's a feudal hangover, passed down the generations through English common law. Nowadays, in their own different ways, many employers and most workers are wanting to exorcise the old ghoul. The way unions react to this shift, and to the workplace democracy agenda, may have a huge effect on the movement's future. more»
Reframing the debate
Eduardo Gonzales poses a deceptively simple question: "what does the progressive movement stand for?". The fact that no simple answer comes to mind shows how completely conservatives have come to control the debate... until recently anyway. They have been setting the agenda; we have been reacting. And yet back in the 1950s conservatives were as divided as progressives are now. How did they manage to rebuild their unity and claim centre stage for so long? You'll find our collective discussion on this subject here»
New Unionism in the UK
 What lessons can be learned from the UK’s “New Unionism” project? When it was first launched in 1997, the stars seemed aligned for a phenomenal transformation of industrial relations. Then, all of a sudden, nothing happened. Or, rather, a lot happened - both good and bad - but nothing really changed. Does the whole agenda needs to be looked at again, with the luxury of a hard-earned hindsight? Conor Cradden and Peter Hall-Jones argue that the missing element was workplace democracy. Click here» for more.
the story so far
(last updated 25 October 10)
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The New Unionism Network was launched at the beginning of 2007. Here's our membership directory. In terms of demographics, 48% of members work for unions. The next biggest group is "rank and file" workers (at 31%), followed by academics (11%). The gender balance is 34%/66% female/male, which is a worry, although female membership has been rising more proportionately in recent months. There are about 1500 subscribers to our Work In Progress newsletter. We're well pleased with the balance between white-collar and blue-collar members. The nationality with the highest membership is the USA (24%), followed by UK and Australia (21%), and then Canada (11%). As you'll see from the map below, we're needing to build our website audience in South America and Africa in particular. In terms of finances, we are seeking donations to cover operating costs. We're currently holding our own through thanks to the odd member donation, but no more than that. We have no other source of income, nor any political links.
Meetings
We've had two members' meetings. Records from the first can be downloaded here, and the second here.
Latest news for members
At our last meeting the members discussed the idea of setting up an international NGO. About 20 members volunteered to become involved, and member/ lawyer/ professor Eric M. Fink is now working on an outline for establishing a tax-exempt non-profit structure. If you want to volunteer for involvement, email ngo@newunionism.net. To stay informed, just watch this space.
Website visitors
The map below shows the location of visitors to our website since April '10. You'll find last year's map here» and the year before here» As you'll see, we need to lift our presence (even allowing for language and digital divide) in Africa and South America. Members' ideas on this would be very welcome.
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Network membership
 There are two kinds of network member, although this in no way indicates a hierarchy. Founding members are experienced union reps and officials, supporters and activists who accept the principles of new unionism and want to put some work in to help us get established. Network members (including the founding members) are those who accept the principles and are willing to promote and/or apply them in their work. Joining is free, but we hope you'll make a donation within six months. All are invited to take part in meetings but only confirmed financial members can vote. We ask members to give the equivalent of one hours pay per year, on the basis that this is the average amount of time we spend per member, and our time is worth no more or no less than your own. To join the network just fill out the form here» You can check who the other members are here» We'll be in touch within an hour, give or take a few disturbances in the æther.
Previous homepage stories here» and
here»
THANKS
Here's a few words of thanks and acknowledgement» to the good folk who have helped us along the way, be it with voluntary work, encouragements, donations and/or inspiration.
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New Unionism is about unions setting agendas, rather than just reacting to them. This network unites supporters of four key principles: 
