Geographical Union Identity

This chapter explores geographical union identity which is projected by unions with membership territories other than those of Great Britain or the UK. These unions project three forms of geographical identity, namely, ‘subnational union identity’, where unions such as SSTA organise an area within Great Britain, ‘binational union identity’ where unions including NUJ are based in two countries, or ‘multinational union identity’ where unions operate in multiple countries as represented by Nautilus, which was formed by cross-border mergers. The analysis recognises that four Northern Irish unions are certified separately and that some Irish unions also organise there. The chapter explores the observable characteristics of geographical union identity together with the impact of mergers, membership benefits, affiliations and political alignment. The work identifies the potentialities for union responses to any reconfiguration of the UK following either Scottish independence and/or the reunification of Ireland and for the formation of multinational unions in order to provide a more effective challenge to multinational capitalism.

Industrial/Occupational Union Identity

This chapter explores industrial and occupational union identities because it was observed that more than half of certified unions draw upon both occupational and industrial sources of identity. ‘Occupational / industrial union identity’ is projected by unions which either represent a single occupation within an industry, as with PFA, or a closely related group of occupations, as exemplified by Equity. ‘Industrial union identity’ is projected by unions organising a broad range of occupations within an industry, as with RMT. ‘Professional union identity’ is recognised as a subcategory of ‘occupational union identity’, with unions including BMA projecting a distinct range of characteristics, including a requirement for professional qualification and concern over professional issues and standards. The chapter explores the observable characteristics of industrial / occupational union identity together with the impact of mergers, membership benefits, affiliations and political alignment. It recognises that some unions project a ‘hybrid union identity’ in having servicing arrangements with other unions. ‘Protest union identity’ is projected by unions that demonstrate an antipathy to political affiliation and industrial action, providing a benign alternative to other unions within competitive sectors, whilst ‘clandestine union identity’ is applied to unions avoiding recognition as trade unions.

A New Approach to Understanding Union Identities

This chapter explains the construction and operationalisation of a new approach to understanding union identities and niche union identity based upon a multidimensional framework of analysis. It explains the methodology used to gather data in support of this approach and the limitations of the research together with the epistemological approach. It outlines the process through which the sources of union identity emerged both deductively from the extant literature and inductively through analysis of data on observable characteristics in order to construct the multidimensional framework. It explains the significance of primary and secondary sources of union identity which relates to unions’ membership territories, together with additional sources indicating other significant components of union identity. The chapter also considers alternatives to the multidimensional framework, arguing that it is superior to either the rigidity of categorisation or the limitations of a one-dimensional continuum.

The Future of Union Identities and Niche Unionism

This chapter first explores the implications of the work for the understanding of trade union identities and niche unionism. It argues for the multidimensional framework as being superior to a one-dimensional continuum and other theorisations which are variously considered outdated, inappropriate or requiring rigid categorisation. Secondly it discusses critical questions with implications for the future of trade union organisation and the challenge of organising the unorganised. These concern the primacy of general unions, the persistence of niche unions, whether general or niche unions are better placed to organise the unorganised and whether niche identity is a barrier to expanding membership territories. It argues that despite an apparent ‘direction of travel’ from niche in general unions, new niche unions continue to be formed. Whilst general unions could absorb further niche unions and bring greater resources, niche unions might be better placed to organise the unorganised. It recognises that ‘new generation unions’, although not projecting a new form of identity, may prove a significant development in union renewal and revitalisation. Finally, it makes clear that the work is not presented as the last word on trade union identities and niche unionism, but rather a starting point for further debate and discussion.

General Union Identity

This chapter introduces general union identity, drawing a clear distinction between what are termed ‘true general unions’, including Unite and GMB, which are prepared to recruit virtually any worker into membership, and ‘niche general unions’ that project some niche characteristics by organising either horizontally, as in the case of Prospect, which is a ‘horizontal general union’, or vertically as with Unison, which is a ‘vertical general union’. A further distinction is drawn between major general unions, all of which were observed to practice niche unionism through sectionalised structures and minor general unions that tend not to do so. The chapter explores the observable characteristics of general union identity together with the impact of mergers, membership benefits, affiliations and political alignment. The work also considers what are termed ‘new generation unions’ such as IWUGB, some of which project a general union identity.

Introduction

The purpose of this book is to take a fresh look at trade unions by focusing upon their identities and exploring what in this work is termed ‘niche unionism’. While media and politicians frequently refer to the unions as if they were homogeneous, even the most rudimentary exploration of union names reveals that they project an extremely diverse range of identities. Although UK trade union membership decline has largely halted over recent years, unions seem to be making limited progress in recruiting beyond their traditional membership territories. While new and existing unions are making some inroads into the problem of organizing the unorganized, UK unions’ age profile shows a preponderance of older members, leaving the vast majority of younger workers unorganized (...

Comparative Analysis of Union Identities

This chapter presents a limited comparative analysis in order to explore the potential transferability of the multidimensional framework. It considers five countries, namely, China, France, Germany, Japan and US. Whereas a single Chinese union projects a ‘true general union identity’ and operates in parallel with the Communist Party, the multiplicity of competing French unions project identities that can only be understood with the addition of political and religious sources. Although most German unions project industrial identities, for some a religious or professional component is required. The multi-layered structure of Japanese union organisation includes unions that project ‘organisational union identities’ in the corporate sector and ‘industrial union identities’ in the public sector and public services. The majority of US unions project occupational and/or industrial identities, although many also have binational identities, with membership territories incorporating the US and Canada. In contrast the Teamsters and IWW project ‘general union identities’ and a more militant version of ‘protest union identity’. Whilst the chapter concludes that the multidimensional framework is broadly applicable to unions in other countries it identifies that additional sources of identity are needed for comparative analysis.

The Developing Story of Union Identities

This chapter explores the developing story of union identities through analysis of four key drivers to identity change, namely, union mergers, union rebranding, new unions and union dissolutions. Several unions were found to have rebranded, adopting new identities and frequently new names. Some have adopted ‘aspirational titles’ giving no indication of who might join. Whilst union amalgamations lead to rebranding, transfers of engagements tend to result in dilution of union identity, as minor merging unions are absorbed into major merging unions. New unions are less likely to adopt aspirational titles, although some were found to be ephemeral. New generation unions were observed to adopt particular approaches to organisation, but not considered to project a new form of identity. A number of union dissolutions were observed, with these unions tending have small and declining memberships and to be unsuccessful in negotiating transfers of engagements. Overall, the chapter recognises that the work inevitably presents a snapshot of a moving picture.

Organizational Union Identity

This chapter explores ‘organisational union identity’ projected by unions that organise within employer defined membership territories. These unions project three forms of organisational identity, namely, ‘organisational union identity’, where the unions such as Advance seek to organise the whole organisation, ‘sub-organisational union identity’, as with Skyshare which organises pilots employed by NetJets and ‘multi-organisational union identity’ where unions including NGSU operate at a group level. The chapter explores the observable characteristics of organisational union identity together with the impact of mergers, membership benefits, affiliations and political alignment. It further recognises that whilst organisational unions were often formed with employer encouragement as part of union avoidance strategies, that many have now progressed to become certified trade unions and some to have merged with more broadly based trade unions. Therefore, given that there would seem to be a ‘direction of travel’ from formation to certification, it is argued that fermenting new organisational unions might perhaps be a route to restoring trade union membership.

What’s the Problem?

This chapter asks why it is important to understand union identities and starts from the position that unions, as with other organisations, project distinct identities in the public domain. It then asks what is wrong with existing theoretical approaches, recognising that earlier writers either adopt some form of categorisation or more flexible frameworks. It explores the application of organisational identity theories to the understanding of union identities and the significance of niche to trade unions. It explains how niche union identity and niche unionism can be understood through systematic observation and analysis of observable characteristics and identification of the sources of union identity. It recognises the very limited consideration of niche in industrial relations literature and to better understand the concept explores theories drawn from marketing, social identity theories, self-categorization theory and identity theory.