Race Differences in Motivations for Joining Labor Unions: The Role of Instrumental and Prosocial Beliefs

• In Event: 157 - Section on Labor and Labor Movements Paper Session. Open Topic on Labor and Labor Movements

Abstract

Research exploring African Americans’ motivations for joining labor unions has largely focused on the desire to avoid workplace discrimination. This paper investigates the possibility that a prosocial orientation -- stressing how unions are concerned with all working people -- may also influence the decision. We suggest that African Americans may be more willing to consider joining a union because of their access to a unique cultural repertoire emphasizing the notion of “linked fates” (Dawson 1994) connecting African-Americans’ self-interest to broader group interest. Using data from the 2005 AFL-CIO Union Message Survey, we examine whether African Americans are more likely than whites to vote “yes” in a hypothetical union election and whether beliefs about unions as concerned with all working people mediates the effect of race. Logistic regression shows that, net of other factors, African Americans’ odds of voting “yes” are nearly two times greater than whites’ and that collectivist, prosocial beliefs partially mediate this effect. Specifically, our results indicate that prosocial beliefs account for 12 percent of the association between race and union voting intent. We conclude by suggesting how these findings could galvanize unions’ revitalization efforts by pointing to the importance of worker centers in organizing and training union leaders in minority communities and workplaces.

Authors

• Clayton M. Gumber, Florida State University

• Irene Padavic, Florida State University