PI: Andrew W. Martin, Ohio State University (martin.1026@sociology.osu)

1. Resources for Success: Social Movements, Strategic Resource Allocation, and Union Organizing Outcomes PI: Andrew W. Martin, Ohio State University (martin.1026@sociology.osu.edu) The Problem: Social movements’ capacity to mount effective challenges often hinges on the availability of scare resources. Yet despite considerable scholarly interest in the ways that resources are mobilized, we know surprisingly little about the conclusion of this process, how movement actors strategically disburse resources to achieve specific goals. The current research addresses this issue through an analysis of labor union organizing in the 1990s, a period that has witnessed both considerable opposition to unionization on the part of firms and the state, as well as the growing militancy of many labor unions. Growth of Militancy in the Labor Movement: -Election of reformer John Sweeney to president of AFL-CIO in 1995. -Growth of resources (human and financial) disbursed for organizing. -Shift from institutionalized organizing strategy (NLRB certification election) to more militant forms of organizing. -The “Change to Win” faction of unions has split with AFL-CIO over perceived failures to make organizing the union’s central priority. Resistance to Unionization: -President Reagan’s firing of striking air traffic controllers in 1981. -Court restrictions on union tactics (time and manner of picketing). -Use of the strike by employers to break unions (Phelps-Dodge, Caterpillar). -Resistance to union organizing (through legal and illegal methods) is widespread. The Contingency of Resources: Building upon the resource mobilization perspective, I expect that both human and financial resources should play an important role in union organizing success. However, given the recent developments described above, it is also important to explore how the effects of resources may be contingent upon other important dynamics of the organizing drive, particularly the type of repertoire used by the union and the level of firm and state hostility. First, unions have two very different options to organize private sector workers: 1) the NLRB certification election, an institutionalized, government sanctioned process created in the 1930s, and 2) directly pressuring employers to recognize the union without an election. The latter has become increasingly popular among militant unions, who have cited this tactic’s propensity to transform the organizing drive into a “mini-movement.” Given the ability of organizers to mobilize the rank-and-file, I expect that human resources should be particularly important when organizing outside the NLRB. Secondly, union organizing drives often face considerable resistance by both firm and state actors. Sufficient allocation of resources for organizing may allow unions to overcome such obstacles. Data and Methods: The analysis includes a sample of 70 local labor unions measured annually from 1990-2001. Data on resources are drawn from the annual disclosure report these unions are required to file with the Department of Labor. The forms (called LM reports) were coded by hand into Microsoft Access. Although the forms change slightly over the years, most of the data is fairly standardized (quite similar to an IRS tax return); thus, more sophisticated computer assisted text-analyst software could have been used with little loss in reliability and considerable improvements in efficiency. Data on union organizing were gathered using government (NLRB elections) and media sources (non-NLRB organizing). Results: The analysis provides strong evidence that the utility of resources in union organizing efforts is closely linked to the form they take, the repertoire used, and the level of firm/state hostility confronted. Specifically, human resources are considerably more effective at ensuring union victories than financial resources, but only for non-NLRB organizing. Neither resource was related to NLRB success. Additionally, while firm and state resistance did depress the effect of organizers in non-NLRB campaigns, they still were significant, indicating that resources are an important way for unions to overcome opposition to their membership recruitment efforts.