Partnership, with or without Democracy

A study of Quebecois pulp & paper plants (n = 6) conducted between 1992 & 1998, undertaken with a focus on the relationships between labor-management partnerships & democracy in the workplace, is said to reveal that the notion of "partnership" in a labor-management setting is not uniform, with different partnerships taking different, & not always entirely democratic, shapes. The particular form organizational participation takes is found to depend on the power of workers, but it is noted that increased participation of workers does not always lead to the implementation of democratic ideals. A worker democracy pattern, where unions are strengthened through powerful organizational participation & democratic participation in management, & a pseudo-democracy pattern, where unions are weakened through powerless organizational participation & only instrumental participation in management, are identified. 2 Tables, 3 Figures, 38 References. Adapted from the source document.