Household, Work, and Labor Activism: Gender Differences in the Determinants of Union Membership Participation

With union-corporation competition for worker allegiances and declining union membership during the post-World War II era, unions have increasingly sought to replenish their sagging memberships from the growing ranks of women workers. Consequently, unions have entered into a competition with households for the allegiances of women workers, given the persistence of traditionalism in gender roles. This article addresses household constraints on individual activism in labor organizations by examining gender differences in the determinants of membership participation in the Tennessee State Employees Association. The results showed that women's participation is more constrained than men's by household responsibilities, suggesting that competition among institutions for individual allegiances contributes to the level of individual activism in a social movement organization.