Examining the experiences of leadership among trade unionists in a range of unions and labor movements around the world, this volume addresses perspectives of women and men from a range of identities such as race/ethnicity, sexuality, and age. It analyses existing models of leadership in various political organizational forms, especially trade unions, but also including business and management approaches, leadership forms which arise from fields such as community, pedagogy, and the third sector. This book analyzes and critiques concepts, expectations, and experiences of union leaders and leadership in labor organizations, while comparing gender and cultural perspectives. Contributors to the volume draw on empirical research to identify key ideas, beliefs and experiences which are critical to achieving change, setting up resistance, and transforming the inertia of traditionalism.
Reflecting the increased attention to gender and women in the field of employment relations, there is now a growing international literature on women and trade unions. The interest in women as trade unionists arises partly from the fact that women comprise 40 percent of trade union membership in the USA and over 50 percent in the UK. Further, despite considerable overall union membership decline in both the UK and USA, more women than men are joining unions in both countries. Recognition of the importance of women to the survival and revival of trade union movements has in many cases produced an unprecedented commitment to equality and inclusion at the highest level. Yet the challenge is to ensure that this commitment is translated to action and improves the experience of women in their union and in their workplace. Gender and Leadership in Trade Unions explores and evaluates the similarities and differences in equality strategies pursued by unions in the US and the UK. It assesses the conditions experienced by women union members and how these impact on their leadership, both potential and actual. Women have made gains in both countries within union leadership and decision-making structures, however, climbing the ladder to leadership positions remains far from a smooth process. In the trade union context, women face multiple barriers that resonate with the barriers facing aspiring women leaders in other organizational contexts, including the gendered division of domestic work; the organization and nature of women’s work; the organization and nature of trade union work and the masculine culture of trade unions. The discussion of women trade union leaders is situated more broadly within debates on governance, leadership and democracy within social justice activism.
Making Globalization Work for Women explores the potential for trade unions to defend the socioeconomic rights of women in a global context. Looking at labor policies and interviews with people in unions and nongovernmental organizations, the essays diagnose the problems faced by women workers across the world and assess the progress that unions in various countries have made in responding to those problems. Some concerns addressed include the masculine culture of many unions and the challenges of female leadership within them, laissez-faire governance, and the limited success of organizations working on these issues globally. Making Globalization Work for Women brings together in a synthetic and fruitful conversation the work and ideas of feminists, unions, NGOs, and other human rights workers.
This book, first published in 1994, explores the impact of work and gender roles on union activism, and identifies factors that support and hinder women’s representation in trade unions. These issues are discussed in terms of gender role, work-related and union-related factors. The author details what trade unionists are doing to challenge inequalities that still exist, and identifies factors that divide and unite men and women within trade unions. The author shows the impact that feminism has had on the trade union movement and explores the extent to which men and women have similar priorities for collective bargaining.
The pressures of globalization and diversity are increasingly requiring organizations to rethink their priorities and methods. In this collection, leading researchers examine the debates and developments on gender, diversity and democracy in trade unions in eleven countries. Offering an authoritative basis for comparative analysis, this book is essential reading for researchers, teachers, trade unionists and students of industrial relations and equal opportunities, along with all those concerned with ensuring that modern organizations reflect and represent the needs and concerns of a diverse workforce.
This book explores the representation of women’s interests in the world of work across 4 trade unions in France and the UK. Drawing on case studies, it unveils the social, organisational and political conditions that contribute to the reproduction of gender inequalities or, on the contrary, allow the promotion of equality.
First published in 1999, this volume responds to the 1968 sewing worker strikes at the Ford Motor Company, asking how the worker demands made by women are to be heard and understood in workplace negotiations. At the time of original writing in the late 1990s, there remained many women workers whose needs and concerns remained hidden behind a workplace agenda dominated by male interests. Kay M. Fraser utilises some of the insights offered by post-structuralist feminist theorists to interrogate the competing debates about women workers as they were discursively constructed by the organisations, institutions and individuals interested and involved in the employment of women during the 1960s. Fraser further explores notions of sameness and difference, how these were used to formulate a view of women workers and highlights the need for women to be seen, particularly by those involved in the workplace negotiations of the future, as both the same as and different from men workers.
Female union members are nearly fifty percent of the total membership of organized labor, and yet female union members continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions creating a leadership gender gap. The problem of a leadership gender gap is longstanding and is demonstrated in all levels of organized labor, from local to international unions, as well as in the labor federations. The problem stems from deep-rooted barriers that women face with leadership in labor organizations and impacts female union member0́9s voices and issues being heard at the bargaining table, and can therefore negatively affect women0́9s wages, hours and working conditions that are collectively bargained with employers by the elected union leadership. The purpose of this study was to determine what instructional design strategies used in labor education can increase confidence and leadership skill sets of female union members and empower them into leadership roles. Using an instructional design framework that incorporated the ARCS Motivational Design Model and Design Thinking, an asynchronous, online non-credit short course was created to use as the base for the study. The core weekly topics for the course were drawn from the study0́9s literature review, as well as feedback from a participatory group of female union leaders. The initial course prototype was offered in October 2020 and March 2021. Regarding general instructional design strategies, the participants were comfortable with online course formats and prefer a combination of weekly activities and the incorporation of hands-on and/or real-world material. An instructional intervention that focused on role models and self-efficacy was conducted during the third week of the course. The focus on role models proved to be highly valued by the participants. The participants cited that the activity was engaging and broadened their understanding of role models and introduced them to female labor leaders that they had not previously known of. The data collected from the participants recorded that role models demonstrated to the participants how to overcome leadership barriers and inspired them to the fact that they, too, can make positive change in leadership roles. The participants also indicated personal and/or professional growth with their understanding of women and leadership skill development. The participants cited a host of course activities that positively affected their leadership skill sets, such as the role model activities, weekly readings and videos and discussion boards. While the role model activities stood out as having a positive effect on the participants confidence and leadership skills, it is worth noting that the participants cited several different course activities that they participated in that leads to the assumption that leadership courses need to be well-rounded and holistic to fit the diverse audience experiences and skill sets.
This timely Handbook of Research Methods on Gender and Management exemplifies the multiplicity of gender and management research and provides effective guidance for putting methods into practice.
How can unions and women best serve each other and themselves? In this volume, more than forty scholars and activists integrate their experiences to suggest some answers. They discuss ways to close the wage gap and to meet family needs. They explore both the opportunity and the danger of temporary and part-time work, and try to develop a realistic approach to homework.
