On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 10:56 AM, Wojtek Sokolowski
<swsokolowski at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> --- Marvin Gandall <marvgandall at videotron.ca> wrote:
>
> > These are always fair questions, and whether the
> > failures are essentially
> > ones of leadership, as you maintain, or objective
> > ones pertaining to the
> > nature of the workforce (eg. dispersed and transient
> > vs concentrated or in
> > short supply), the working conditions (eg. white
> > collar vs. blue collar),
> > and the relative bargaining power of the two sides -
> > as the unions with
> > jurisdiction would undoubtedly claim - these
> > questions can really only be
> > answered by those with knowledge of these industries
> > and the considerations
> > which have shaped the union responses. Certainly,
> > I'm not in a position to
> > know, and neither I suspect are most of the people
> > on this list with very
> > definite opinions on these matters.
>
> [WS:] Looking at the objective conditions in which
> union organizing occurs is a very good idea, indeed.
> To the ones that you mention, I would also add
> generalized social norms, values and expectations that
> aid or impede collective action. Unions tend to
> thrive in societies that put more value on collective
> action and social solidarity - but the US is not one
> of them.