The Labor Vote: A Local Union's Impact on the Political Conduct of Its Members

Hypo: following the union line in politics is associated with active participation in union affairs. This case study of UAW-CIO Local 166 of Chicago traces the history of the union & its pol'al activity during 1947-48. From the union's 348 members, a 7 month period, & who also had run for or held office or served on a committee. 32 inactives were chosen who had attended none of the meetings nor had held office. An approximately 1.5 hour interview was held with each sample person at his home between 8/24/ & 9/28/1948, using a schedule with items on: labor-liberal pol'al position, past voting behavior & voting intention, pol'al interest, pol'al information, perception of union's function, awareness of union's pol'al goals, & the R's soc characteristics. 5 Guttman-type scales were developed, using the Cornell technique, with a CofR=.89 or more & each containing 5 to 11 items. Using Warner's ISC, the sample was divided at the Md into high & low status groups. Using Edwards' SE groups, the same was divided into 2 groups of 17 High & 42 Low in SE status. The Chi-square test was applied. 'Activity in the union was substantially associated with a labor-liberal pol'al orientation', irrespective of SES level. Actives not only followed the union line but knew their position weeks before the election. Religion, sex, race, & ethnicity could not explain the diff between actives & inactives. To understand the soc process shaping the voter's pol'al decisions, the formal & informal org's in which the voter participates must be studied. A. L. Ferriss.