Power in Coalition

Amanda Tattersall

Description

The labor movement sees coalitions as a key tool for union revitalization and social change, but there is little analysis of what makes them successful or the factors that make them fail. Amanda Tattersall-an organizer and labor scholar-addresses this gap in the first internationally comparative study of coalitions between unions and community organizations. She argues that coalition success must be measured by two criteria: whether campaigns produce social change and whether they sustain organizational strength over time. The book contributes new, practical frameworks and insights that will help guide union and community organizers across the globe. The book throws down the gauntlet to industrial relations scholars and labor organizers, making a compelling case for unions to build coalitions that wield "power with" community organizations.Tattersall presents three detailed case studies: the public education coalition in Sydney, the Ontario Health Coalition in Toronto, and the living wage campaign run by the Grassroots Collaborative in Chicago. Together they enable Tattersall to explore when and how coalition unionism is the best and most appropriate strategy for social change, organizational development, and union renewal. Power in Coalition presents clear lessons. She suggests that "less is more," because it is often easier to build stronger coalitions with fewer organizations making decisions and sharing resources. The role of the individual, she finds, is traditionally underestimated, even though a coalition's success depends on a leader's ability to broker relationships between organizations while developing the campaign's strategy. The crafting of goals that combine organizational interest and the public interest and take into account electoral politics are crucial elements of coalition success.

Sujets

• Sociologie, société et politique
• Movimiento sindical
• Sociology
• International studies
• Industrial relations
• Region
• Trade union
• Regional

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 mars 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801459351
• Langue: English

Extrait

Power in Coalition

Power in Coalition

Strategies for Strong Unions and Social Change

Amanda Tattersall

ILR Press an imprint of Cornell University Press Ithaca and London

Copyright © 2010 by Cornell University

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For informa tion, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

First published 2010 by Cornell University Press First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 2010

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data Tattersall, Amanda, 1977– Power in coalition : strategies for strong unions and social change / Amanda Tattersall. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 9780801448997 (cloth : alk. paper) —ISBN 9780801476068 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Labor unions—Political activity—Australia—Sydney (N.S.W.)—Case studies. 2. Labor unions—Political activity— Illinois—Chicago—Case studies. 3. Labor unions—Political activity—Ontario—Toronto—Case studies. 4. Community organization—Australia—Sydney (N.S.W.)—Case studies. 5. Community organization—Illinois—Chicago—Case studies. 6. Community organization—Ontario—Toronto—Case studies. 7. Social change—Australia—Sydney (N.S.W.)—Case studies. 8. Social change—Illinois—Chicago—Case studies. 9. Social change—Ontario—Toronto—Case studies. I. Title. HD6895.S9T38 2010 322.2—dc22 2010003028

Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally respon sible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of its books. Such materials include vegetablebased, lowVOC inks and acidfree papers that are recycled, totally chlorinefree, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.

Cloth printing10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Paperback printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedicated to my two boys, Charles and Hartley

Contents

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

1. The Elements of Coalition Unionism

2. The Public Education Coalition in New South Wales

ix

xi

1

17

32

3. Living Wages and the Grassroots Collaborative in Chicago 63

4. The Ontario Health Coalition

5. Power in Coalition

Conclusion: The Possibilities of Successful Coalitions

References

Index

104

142

166

183

203

Acknowledgments

This work has been five years in the making, a task begun when I was a union organizer perplexed by how to build powerful coalitions. The jour ney took me back to university as well as to travels through Canada and the United States. Since the end of my research I have returned to or ganizing, to prove that those who can “teach” can also “do.” We are three years into establishing the Sydney Alliance, a longterm broadbased coali tion. This book, however, was not complete until after another adventure, the birth of my baby boy. Luckily, these different experiences, which could (and did) make this book a challenge, fueled my own belief in the im portance of a text on the promise of coalition building. While writing can be a solitary task, this has not been a lonely journey. This research received tremendous support from the University of Syd ney and Unions NSW. Key backers, including Bradon Ellem, Russell Lans bury, John Robertson, and Mark Lennon, recognized the value of crossing the divide from the union movement to university and back again, which was critical for making this book happen. Scholarships, particularly the Denis Freney Memorial Scholarship from the Search Foundation, helped fund the translation of my PhD dissertation into a book. Dozens of union ists and community organizers, through reading and conversation, actively shaped the ideas that developed. I want to single out Erik Peterson from Wellstone Action for reading countless drafts and engaging in hundreds of challenging conversations that certainly improved the analysis in this book. I also want to acknowledge fellow union and community organiz ers Adam Kerslake, Jennifer Acklin, and Joe Chrastil, who helped refine the analysis by reflecting on our organizing.