Does Labor Have a Future? A Look at White Working Class Perceptions of Unionism and the Future of Labor

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2015
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Haverford College. Department of Political Science
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Award
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eng
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Tri-College users only
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Abstract
With private sector union membership down to the single digits, and a growing climate of antiunion sentiment and legislation, I started my research by wondering what can organized labor do to improve membership involvement. My research soon found that there was a gap in research around the perception of unions and organized labor, specifically around white blue collar workers. I then decided to focus on the perception issue that the literature was not addressing. By focusing on white blue collar workers, I am focusing on the demographic who are leaving the labor movement quicker than any other group. Through interviews with trade unions and a comparative study of two Philadelphia trade unions, I was able to come to a conclusion that suggests unions and organized labor need to focus and understand why there are negative opinions on unions rather than just efforts to expand the movement by gaining new members.
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Aine Sheehan was a Bryn Mawr College student.
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