A Theory of Union Collective Action

The relationship between government behaviors and union collective action has been a neglected research area. Where unions are not heavily involved in policymaking, as long as governments respect the status quo and do not undermine unions'vested interests in organizational and job security, unions are not likely to break with their past institutionalized behaviors. But what happens when a government promulgates policies that threaten the unions' vested interests and simultaneously excludes them from the political decision-making system? The politically excluded unions' arsenal of responses ranges from a passive, wait-and-see behavior to collective protests. Understanding the process of the latter response is my focus herein.